The HalfBlood Princess Bride
by RabidOrochimaruOtaku
Summary: Post-War, and things are getting chaotic. Snape gets bored and decides to take a trip to get away from everything. Can he find an escape in America? Or will it be the demise of his reputation as the greasy bat of the dungeons?
1. Enter the Wise Crack Trio

Chapter One – Enter the Wise-Crack Trio

Severus Snape was extremely unhappy after the war, and not just because of everything that had happened and how people looked at him now. Okay, so that was part of it, but the worst part was that he'd survived the Shrieking Shack (again), had been found by the Golden Trio (again), could have sworn that they saw him die (again), and woke up a week later in St. Mungo's. He felt empty now that Potter was married to the Weasley girl, and Granger to the youngest Weasley boy – erm, slob. That narrowed his only choice back down to nothing, and now he had been out of commission for how long? Two years? Ten? He didn't count anymore, he just didn't care about anything, and by Merlin's blue pants, he'd find something to do before his own mental issues drove him mad. He still found himself unable to talk, not for physical reasons, but physiological ones that even the Healers at St. Mungo's couldn't pinpoint. Oh well, his voice would return eventually, he figured. If it ever came back at all, but the Healers had said that it would once he felt comfortable enough to return. It was now, what – 2012? Twenty-twelve was the supposed year of the apocalypse, according to the Muggle beliefs, if he was correct from researching the American Muggle culture. After a month of resting his voice, they wanted him to go back to Hogwarts to teach Potions, but he declined, writing that he still needed a year or two to himself. That had been a few years ago, and Merlin help him, he just didn't feel the same after the war. He couldn't bring himself to face the death tolls in the war and the children of the Death Eaters he betrayed so blatantly and outright on his deathbed.

Granted, he loved teaching, so long as the idiot was willing to listen long enough to learn something and not just from his tasks. He sighed in defeat as he went over towards the Muggle contraption of an airplane, the concept entirely new to him but he honestly didn't care less. He was tired, was sick of the waiting, and finally drifted off to sleep after finally managing to pantomime to a neighboring Muggle that he was a mute, being forced to show his scar tissue to prove his point. The muggle nodded in understanding and left him be, but handed him Muggle money for Merlin knew why.

He arrived in America, and apparated from the back of the plane where he'd been sitting, taking care to be sure that no Muggles had seen him. He didn't care where he went, just that he was out of the plane, out of the traffic of people, and as far away from society as possible. Somehow, he wound up looking around himself in mild interest. This new location was large, open, and fairly well structured, if not small for being roomy yet tiny. He could hear people of all ages milling around him, and began wondering if he was in a scholarly location, a library, or somewhere else that he would be comfortable with.

"I can't take it! Why do I have to be the one to put up with you?" he heard a young woman ask as she passed, clearly angry with a Goyle-resembling male in the body width department, but not exactly height.

They both resembled Molly Weasley's height, and the girl resembled somewhat of a tiny pixie, if not for her chest size and her medium length brown hair. He noted it looked like it had once built up oils, just like his, and vaguely wondered what shampoo this girl used to keep it from getting oily again. One whiff of the pair, however, and he wondered how often they showered, and it was entirely unsanitary the way these Muggles kept up their hygiene. The girl was well groomed otherwise, had a slight orange to her teeth from a lack of going to the dentist despite her excellent hygiene with them, no doubt brushing them at least once a day, if not more. She wore baggy clothes, one that a male would wear normally, but ones that would also be wearable for a girl. Namely, she was wearing Cherry red T-shirt and a pair of Capri knee-length, almost flattering dark blue shorts, as well as her blue tennis shoes with white socks. It was a pity that she wore all this, and her frame was so tiny, yet so – flamboyant.

"For the last time, Sis, why don't you walk with me so that I know you love me?" the boy asked as he walked out a set of glass double doors. Huh, brother and sister, probably, Snape assumed. "Honestly, take your mind off Orochimaru for one minute to make time for your big brother!"

"Orochimaru?" Severus asked quietly, casting a notice-me-not charm on himself to help himself blend in while here and he followed this girl.

His curiosity was piqued, and this girl, this tiny girl reminded him of himself when he was her age – whatever that was. He followed the small girl, and stopped stone cold in a room full of what he knew to be Muggle contraptions of some sort. He winced, but stood guard over this girl, honestly curious as to what on earth she'd do with it. She began letting her fingers fly over a bunch of buttons, and letters appeared on a screen in front of the girl, and the girl wasn't even looking down to see what letters she was pushing, to Severus' amazement. How amazing that someone so young could have such a profound knowledge of these sorts of things, but no doubt she grew up with it as a Muggle, otherwise she would have gone to Hogwarts or the American equivalent thereof and would have no clue how to operate these things. He noticed that she typed something, clicked the mouse (that was what it was called, right?) and images appeared on the screen.

"Seriously, Sarah? More pictures of Orochimaru?" the older boy asked as he glanced at her computer monitor. "If you aren't careful, I'll turn off your computer monitor so you can't look."

"Would you rather have me looking up pictures of Jiraiya? Or perhaps Professor Snape, Samuel Lee Denning?" she retorted wittily within moments, and Snape immediately saw what this was: Sibling rivalry. One hated the other for not supporting her, and the other didn't understand why he was shunned and rejected, but continued on his path anyhow. "If I wanted an interrogation, I'd have gone to talk to Anko, or Ibiki, or Tsunade, Kakashi, Asuma, or heck, even Sakura or Naruto!"

"Alright, sheesh," he said putting his hands up. "Maybe something non-anime related for once?"

"Fine," she grumbled, and Severus looked back at the brother's screen. His had some weird sword-wielding male with a green tunic, blonde hair, blue earrings on large pointed ears, and a shield with a Triforce on it. "But you always have gaming stuff on your background."

"That's because Legend of Zelda is a common occurrence," Sam retorted. "Anime isn't, and it's hated worldwide. Heck, people go so far as to call it porn."

Severus widened his eyes in disbelief at the male's words that had been fired at the pixie-like brunette. They were teasing yes, and meaningless tone, but the way that the girl's face looked made Snape think that he'd just poked a sleeping dragon in the eyes. Her eyes flared, her fury and hurt rising, but the small teacher walked in at that moment and Severus took a tiny amount of time to find his own photos up on the girl's screen before she hit a button and they were all immediately gone. For a moment, he thought that she would cry, but he sensed that she tucked it away. Merlin's blue beard, this girl might just be a good user of Occlumency if her face weren't such an open book. She seemed to shrug most things off until you finally hit below the belt, which then she took things _extremely _personal, from what he was seeing with her brother.

But, alas, he'd seen this kind of thing with Lily and Petunia before in their childhood, and honestly didn't give a damn about sibling rivalry as long as it didn't end up like Petunia's and Lily's – in disaster, even after one of their deaths. After listening to the instructor and learning about the Muggle devices and how to operate them, he was very interested to find that he could somehow begin to understand the insane contraptions. With each tiny button pressed on this "keyboard", a letter appeared on the screen, and apparently there was a way to hold your hands properly so the entire thing could be easily reached with little effort on each finger's part. After the class was over, he followed her out of the hot and stuffy room, and she put in headphones over her ears.

"Stupid Sam," she muttered, "Why can't he just leave me alone? Damn. Hm, Lion King, or Prince of Egypt? Eh, who am I kidding? I'll only have time for one bloody song anyways, and I wish I could tell my next teacher to piss off like the jerk he is."

'_Ah hah!'_ Severus thought. '_So she is a student, and quite the unhappy one by the looks of it. Perhaps her parents are to blame, or her brother? Then again, she might not have even done the homework. Holy crap, that essay is freaking – _eight _pages on why the government should be changed here? Damn, what is this kid, another know-it-all like Granger?'_

"Alright, class," the teacher said as Severus hid himself in the corner of the room near the window to the back wall. "Turn in your essays for the final and begin on the Multiple choice."

'_So that's what that purple folder with the eight page essay was about,_' Severus mused. _'This teacher sounds like a combination between Weasley – the tiny brain size and manners – and me, but the latter only because everyone hates him and his class. I guess I'll have to stick around to see why, won't I?'_

"Now, once I have your scan-trons, you're dismissed," the teacher said, and Severus' jaw almost dropped in shock. What on earth were these Muggles thinking, giving the students free reign of the school? Had he gone insane? Then again, perhaps they knew how to control themselves sometimes, he gathered, since obviously it would be forbidden to let them out of class if they didn't.

"Hey, Carl, what'd you do yours on again?" Sarah asked, and Severus scowled at her lack of remembrance as she left the classroom to find her friend waiting for her in the hallway.

"Well, I did mine on the effects that people like Orochimaru, Severus Snape, and the Volturi all have on society," Carl, a male who looked eerily similar, yet vastly different, from any of the Gryffindors that he'd seen, teased. Severus' eyes widened in shock – he didn't know these people, how did they know about him, and he'd been so good to hide himself!

"Carl!" Sarah whined dramatically, teasing and mocking all at the same time. "Tell the truth, Carl, are they really that grouchy, or are you just basing this off the fact that they're all deathly pale villains? Well, with one exception who turned out to -!"

"No! Don't spoil it!" Carl cried out as they reached the outside. "I haven't finished the seventh book yet, blast it! Actually, I haven't read any of the Harry Potter series…"

"Commendable," Sarah conceded, "Since you've got a reading disability. Demo, I'll just tell you right now that Orochimaru is a totally awesome Snake Ninja for the Naruto section. The Volturi need to burn for all the hell that they put everyone through and that includes poor Bella, the raving lunatics. Snape, Kami, _Snape _– he was a good guy in the end having to act as a spy for Dumbledore, and playing the part so well that he fooled everyone, even Harry and Voldemort until he died in the Shrieking Shack and gave Harry a few of his memories as he was dying!"

"Did you want Snape and Orochimaru to die?" the boy called Carl asked curiously, and Snape willed himself to stay calm as they talked about him. "What are your views on his appearance, what with his being the 'greasy bat of the dungeons' and all that jazz?"

"No, neither of them deserved to die," Sarah retorted angrily, with sorrow mixed in as well. "Snape was just following orders and trying to survive. Orochimaru just wanted to know the mysteries of life and to know all there was to know in the world. As for Snape's looks – you know good and well what I think about his appearance, blast it!"

Severus cast a silent Imperius curse, willing the foolish Muggle to become his mouthpiece.


	2. Snape? Comforting?

Chapter Two – Snape Comforting?

"Tell me anyways," Carl said, faking being in love with this girl at Severus' command. "Tell me everything, and I do mean everything."

"I hate how you read me like an open book," Sarah huffed. "But fine, you win. Snape's hair isn't greasy; it's oily from being above cauldrons all day and probably has the same oily hair problem that I've got since I have to wash my hair every other day. His teeth may be somewhat crooked to most people, but so what? I don't have perfect teeth, you know that for a fact, and nobody has perfect teeth unless they spend more than a thousand dollars a year on them."

They were headed back down towards the main building, much to Severus' amusement, and he continued drilling her with questions all the way back down. After wondering if this Orochimaru person was some distant relative of Salazar Slytherin somehow, Severus decided to ask. To his surprise, she laughed and explained the dynamics that he was a TV show character. That explained a lot of things to him, sort of, in the way that she sometimes believed that TV/cartoons characters could be so lifelike if they didn't have any superpowers like the ninjas on Naruto did.

To his delight, he discovered that she hated drugs and alcohol, and that she wanted nothing to do with them except to make an addiction recovery class. He scowled when she said that her favorite animal had once been horses, but wasn't surprised when she said it was now snakes. Whether that was for Slytherin or Orochimaru, he didn't ask. She liked her privacy, very much like he did, but still enjoyed the company of others whenever it wasn't her biological family. He asked her if she was adopted, to which she snorted and replied 'I wish, then I wouldn't have to live in this hellhole'. He'd been floored by that statement, as he'd assumed she liked living here. On a whim, he asked where she would live if she could live anywhere and have any job. She sighed, her eyes gazing in the distance.

"If I could live anywhere and have any job? Ah," she sighed, her eyes getting watery with longing for things past. "I'd be packing up and heading back to Fayetteville. I'd like to work at the Library there at the Children's desk, or maybe with a librarian."

He'd stared and almost left at that point. This woman was insane! When asked why, she told him that the people at the library felt more like her family than her own biological ones did, and that the library had felt more like home than her home had. He was immediately reminded of his same feelings towards Hogwarts and his own home, knowing it was almost the exact same way. He asked if she would possibly want to be a guidance counselor for students ages eleven to fifteen, and she chuckled. She explained that beneath her hard exterior with her brother, she was actually an emotional rollercoaster sometimes and could very easily throw a temper tantrum. No, she was better with working with small children, but he still didn't quite follow that logic. Not until he asked her about religious views.

"I'm Mormon, you know that," she replied with a scowl. "Honestly, Carl, didn't you listen to me the first time I explained?" He made his puppet nod, but prod that she never explained how her church operated and worked. "Fine, it's not exactly open pulpit, but the bishop assigns three speakers every Sunday, with Fast Sunday – the first one of the month – being open pulpit for testimonies."

After hearing her voice so much, he never thought he'd actually miss human company, but it was almost soothing to find more information about this new country, even if from a bias opinion of a female who hated her government. He let a grin grace his lips as she said that the Ministry of Magic should really be more careful, and that she wanted "Umbitch" in Azkaban. She was very much like him, Snape surmised, but she was also very kind and tenderhearted, if not a little bit on the lazy side. Then again, she was a teen. To his horror, she began crying.

"I hate Mr. Graham! Why does he have to be such a jerk? He _knew _I would be gone getting my wisdom teeth cut out, and he assigns a one hundred point assignment that he won't let me make up! If I don't ace this bloody essay and his blasted final, I'm screwed! If I lose my scholarship, my mom will take away my door, and then I'll have no privacy and I'll freeze to death in the winter!" She sobbed. "I hate it! I wish that she'd never come up with that punishment! I'd had to beg her to put a curtain up the last time when I was in eighth grade!"

Good god, this wasn't the first time it had happened? Snape almost yelled, but his jaw went slack for a while. What kind of mother did that to her child for being rebellious? Granted, it was a phase, but that was no way to treat a child! Ground them, spank them (within reason), hell, even wash their mouth out with soap, but never take away a door in the dead of winter! He could see why she hated her mother, just as he hated Tobias.

"To make it worse, she – I keep having these nightmares that she locked me up in the fradie hole of our Praerie Grove house, and that she filled it with… with brown recluses!" she continued sobbing, beginning to shake with fear. "Thank heavens I dropped Western Civilizations for a study hall. Do you know what Orochimaru would say if he caught me crying like this?"

"Stop crying, it's unbecoming?" he had the puppet, Carl, guess. She scowled, and he backtracked. "Well, it's either that or – I don't know, lock you up? I haven't seen the show, remember?"

"Fine," she shook her head and turned tail to leave. "I'm leaving. Tell Mr. Harris I won't be coming back ever again. not to his class, not anyone's. I'll be hitchhiking to Fayetteville and practically starving myself if anyone needs me."

Severus stared at her, wondering how sane this idiotic woman was. Hitchhiking was dangerous enough, but to starve oneself and be this upset was just suicidal. He almost used the Imperius Curse on her, but decided against it, and almost considered kidnapping. This girl needed help, and not just from her problems, she needed help from herself. She was a danger to anyone and everyone in range. He moved the puppet to begin to reason with her.

"But, Sarah," Carl began pleading, "Hitchhiking's not safe! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is, and what about your friends in Fayetteville? What would they think?"

"They'd be proud of me for doing it!" she retorted angrily. "Zoe and Jazmin know what I'm talking about, they know I hate my parents, they know I hate this bloody town and everything to do with it! they were always pushing me to be the best I could be, and always protecting me whenever I needed it most at school, but now that I'm here, I have nobody to do that for me! I have nobody to help me get through my problems, my parents just keep telling me to suck it up and to deal with it like a woman, and everyone in the bloody family thinks it's all about them!

"I try to be kind and to have fun here, but my brother and female cousins always ruin it! Whenever I find my happy place, they barge into my room, or the area I'm at in public, and completely destroy it! Sometimes I want to move to England to get away from them forever! Sometimes I wish that I never grew up around them so they couldn't have anything to judge me from previously! After being practically joined at the hips with them for the first eight years of my life, I moved to Fayetteville for eight years, and two years ago when I move back, they all suddenly hate me and think I'm some sort of freak of nature for my hobbies and fascinations with anime and foreign cultures and languages!

"Sometimes I wish I could have been a witch and could have gone to Hogwarts! Then I wouldn't have to put up with this kind of shit! Granted, I'd have been a Mudblood, and probably an idiotic Gryffindor that Snape would hate and be bias towards until death, but I don't care! I'd rather live with him and his snarky, grumpy, sarcastic butt than that of my family!" she finished, and Snape gaped. She knew his prejudices, yet she would rather live with him than her own family? Damn, he was shocked, and this did not look good for her at all. It reminded him of wishing to live with Lucius, even though he'd known that if he had it would have ultimately ended in him being a Death Eater, but it had happened anyways.

"Do you ever wish that sometimes you could try to see it from their eyes? Maybe they're trying and not listening to you," Carl soothed, and Snape let him have some of the ropes since the youth had known her better than he did. He'd probably know how to calm her down, or possibly just make it worse. "Did you try working alongside them on something?"

"How can I when they only put up with me at Christmas and for birthday parties?" she scowled, more tears threatening, and ultimately another sob fest. Snape scowled, he was horrible with this kind of thing, and was only used to working with it in the library at Hogwarts. "Everyone tells me to get along, but I can't! They hate me, and I swear they want me gone forever!"

"then why not move to England?" Snape had Carl ask instantly. "I mean, think about this for a second, and put a hypothetical case into play. Let's say that Hogwarts and stuff was real, would you go to see if it was, or would you just put up with your life here? Weren't you saying you'd rather live with Snape? I mean, how bad could he be compared to all this crap at home?"

"He'd be like a stroll through some flower fields," she retorted, and Snape blanched in shock. This family was insane to treat one of their own so horribly! "I'm skipping class, don't wait up for me."

"We get to do our informative speeches," Carl urged, Snape letting him take the mouthpiece once again, but not really wanting to do so. "Come on, you can do it, I know you can. Hey, I put up with worse at home with my crazy sisters. And at least your brother comes home this summer."

Snape could have sworn he felt something twitch when the boy said this, and stalked off before he became more enraged at the hell this girl had to call a life. Geez, she'd had it extremely rough for a Muggle of a tender age of eighteen, and being surrounded by people who hate you was something he could sympathize with. He'd have to teach her Occlumency if he was going to help her get over it and get rid of her nightmares, but that was _if _he could approach her.

Crying wasn't his strong point, but he hoped that it wouldn't be a regular occurrence for the brunette. He apparated towards her home, landed just outside in the middle of a forest where the foundations for a house were laid down. He stared in horror, searching the skies for any sign of the Dark Mark. When he found none, he looked around at his surroundings. He'd aimed to get near her house, but hopefully stay hidden as well, but he had no idea where she lived. She'd mentioned confiding in a white dog, which he noted was racing towards him barking.

He stared at the dog off its leash, and noted that someone was calling for the creature, calling it the same thing that Sarah had called it. This little thing must be her version of a familiar, he thought. He sighed, bending down to scratch the dog underneath the collar, a trick he learned as a child from Lily on how to make friends fast with a dog. Immediately, the dog warmed up to him, and Snape began looking around him. He noted a thick grove of trees, and began weaving his way through it. once through, he was in a clearing, with two houses in sight. One to his left, to which the person was calling to the dog, and another in front of him, looking very much abandoned, and he contemplated this second house as new quarters for the summer, albeit it _was _extremely hot even though he didn't know it, he could only assume from what Sarah had whined about.

"Go home, little one," he urged the white dog, and it scampered off to his left, racing towards the first house that had a camper beside it. "I seriously hope that Sarah doesn't get into too much trouble. That girl has _got _to get better control, she's eighteen, not five!" he stopped, realizing that he was acting just like her family members. "Well, I can see why she'd want to live with me. Better alone in my world with people who would actually visit and that I can introduce her to, than to be here and hating your own family who all act like a greasy dungeon bat that all the Hogwarts Students hate."

With that said, he apparated back to the school she'd been at a few dozen miles away.


	3. Snape Pulls an Edward Cullen

Chapter Three – Snape Pulls an Edward

Snape re-cast the Imperius Curse on the same boy as before, noting that Sarah hadn't run away like she'd planned. Perhaps she was all bark no bite, like her dog? Either way, he apparated just behind the camper area and immediately cast a notice-me-not charm around himself.

"I swear, those blasted neighbors have _got _to stop firing off their guns at all hours of the day and night, or one of these days," Sarah whined as she stormed back inside. Snape winced as the curly-haired woman that she had to call mother scolded her for swearing, but she hadn't even cursed! He then realized just how strict this woman was, and it instantly reminded him of Tobias yet again. Where was the girl's father? Dead? Missing? Had he abandoned them? He'd have to ask later.

"Sarah Naomi Denning, you get back here this minute!" he heard the mother yell, and immediately wanted to hex the crazy woman.

"Blast it woman, can't you see your daughter's hurting inside because of you? You'll only make it worse, you ignorant bitch," Snape hissed under his breath, but immediately backed away from the camper onto the grass when the brother, Sam, came up and unlocked it to go inside. He stared after the other male, not believing his eyes. This boy was getting spoiled rotten, and his sister was getting treated like garbage for no reason! "Mark my words, she _will _be leaving that house if it's the last thing I do. I will _not _tolerate this kind of treatment from or for anyone unless I'm the one dishing it out, damn it."

He stalked off, wondering where to go with this. He noted the abandoned house, and grinned wickedly at his plan. It was in such close proximity to her family, but it would be such a shame that they couldn't be able to access it with him there. And if Sarah moved in with him like she'd been whining, they could have no access to her as well, and he could protect her. Snape froze, just then realizing what he'd been formulating. His jaw clenched, and he contemplated on what he wanted to do: help the teen, or keep his reputation?

He vouched for the former, knowing the girl had been suicidal earlier that day, just as he had been the first day of the second term at Hogwarts. He sighed, knowing that if someone lived there, he'd have to talk them into selling him the house, or better yet, if it really was abandoned, he could clean and fix it up to live in for himself. Which, naturally, would be a simple task using magic. He opened the locked door with a quick "Alohamora" and stepped inside.

He immediately backed out, the smell that was hitting his nostrils was horrendous, worse than anything he'd ever smelled before in his life except dead body! With a quick "Scourgify" he cleaned up most of what was wrong in the front room, and almost vomited when he went throughout the rest of the house and cleaned it out in a like manner. This was horrible, and he knew it, but what sane person just left a house sitting to rot away like this? None that he knew except Draco Malfoy, and he openly scowled at the offending odors. He quickly apparated away, knowing he'd never get caught with what Sarah had been saying about gun-happy neighbors, and went out to get some limes and lemons to mask the scent and hopefully get rid of it.

After hours of piling them around the house, it was now dark and he had to find somewhere to sleep. He contemplated numerous places, but found a tiny makeshift playhouse left out, again, to rot. Granted, it had wasp nests, but he immediately vanished them and the offending wasps as though they were nothing. He smirked, knowing any woman would be more than happy for the chance to be able to have that ability at her fingertips, but sighed at the fact that no woman would ever give him the time of day to have a decent conversation if they were sane. Just because the war was over didn't mean he was very social, it just meant he was able to be more open about things like this.

He slept for a few hours, and woke up at about four in the morning after going to sleep at about seven in the evening without dinner. Great Slytherin, what was this world coming to? He crept around, and went to the back porch of the house that Sarah had entered, the original one that the white dog had come from. With a tap of his wand, the back door unlocked. He took off his boots to enter the threshold, and immediately heard a low, but familiar growling and racing paws.

"Sh," he shushed the white canine. He then whispered, "I need to see your mama. Go get mama."

The white canine stalked off, and he quickly and quietly followed. He winced as a light was on, but it was faint. He knew teenagers liked to stay up at night, but this was ridiculous! Four in the bloody morning was just too early! Wand out and ready, he opened the door at the end of the hallway, noting that the one to his left led to a bathroom. Thank Heavens – he needed to go, bad, he realized. He backtracked and went about his business, quietly washing his hands afterwards.

He returned to his original route and quietly opened the door to reveal first a bookcase, cluttered with numerous things alongside various novel series, and then the sleeping form of a teenager with an empty bed. He stared in shock at the lunacy of the situation, and almost used his wand to put the girl back in bed, but decided against it. He'd already risked the Imperius curse today; he didn't want to risk Azkaban any more for the time being. He stepped into the girl's bedroom, noting all the clutter. It was extremely disorganized, yet organized at the same time. it was driving him mad, but what startled him wasn't the fact that she was asleep on the floor – it was the Muggle device next to her. He stared, then shut it, thinking it was some sort of electronic binder of some sort, and put it on the desk, leaning it on some sort of fanning device, no doubt an accessory of said binder.

He hesitantly flicked out his wand and moved her back into her bed, glancing behind him. This was absurd, but then again, she may or may not have gotten tucked in as a small child. He knew he hadn't, and he'd longed for it. He looked at the sheet on the bed, and pulled it over her gently with his left arm as he flicked his right wrist to put his wand back in its sheath. Sarah stirred, and he froze, knowing that if he hid, he was screwed. If he ran, he was screwed, if he stayed, he was screwed. She settled, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to leave, but just as he reached the door, he heard Sarah saying his name.

He swore.


	4. Escape or Kidnapping?

Chapter Four – Escape, or Kidnapping?

"Snape? What the-?" Sarah asked, just woken up on the bed after falling asleep on the floor as she was typing on her laptop in the early hours of the morning again.

"Fucking shit," he hissed, then turned around to face her, shutting the door behind him.

"You-you're real," she marveled, and her eyes lit in understanding. "You were using Carl as a mouthpiece earlier, weren't you?"

"Did I, or not?" Snape smirked. "You can prove nothing. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk _quietly _about this as civilized adults."

"What makes you think I'm an adult?" Sarah retorted quietly with a smile. "For all you know I'm sixteen with an early start on college."

"Please," Snape scoffed. "Even Granger couldn't pull that off, she couldn't test out of her OWLs."

"So it's real," Sarah said her eyes lighting up. "Wow, it's real."

"Shit," Snape swore. "Not a word to anyone or-!"

"I know, you'll use Obvliviate and I'll forget," Sarah said quietly, sadness in her eyes. "I meant it, though, what I said earlier."

"Oh?"

"About – here."

Snape chose to raise an eyebrow instead of talk. He wasn't going to incriminate himself any more than he already had.

"It's okay, you know," she said quietly. "I wasn't going to tell anyone. I knew you'd apparated nearby but covered it with a gunshot story – my mom gave me hell for that – and could tell that something wasn't right in Carl's voice earlier. You'd be surprised how well I know his voice and emotions considering I met him in January."

Snape kept glaring at her.

"Sorry. I'm rambling like an idiotic Gryffindor that you hate, aren't I?" she smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess I'm like the idiot version of Hermione Granger, only have Harry's lack of common sense, and Ron's lack of tact." Good god, he wanted to yell at that moment, seeing how she'd inherited the worst traits of the bloody Golden Trio. "Yeah, I probably got all the traits of the trio that you hate the most."

"How the bloody hell?" he whispered, and she looked up at him.

"I'm right," she grinned widely. "Wow, for once in my life I'm actually right about someone's emotions. Normally I'm worth crap at it, and am unfortunately blessed with being entirely oblivious unless they're my family…"

"Which you hate," Snape said, and wanted to Accio the words right back to his mouth. "Fine, I admit, I spied on you since you were the first Muggle in sight since I apparated to your school on accident. Happy?"

"Very, sir," Sarah blushed, he could almost feel it. "You're the first guy who – well, not exactly the first guy, but… you're the first one to go with civilized manners of getting to know me that learned this much without getting on my nerves."

"I don't annoy you? What the hell is wrong with you? You should be terrified of me," he hissed, putting his hand at her throat.

"No," she whispered, terrified. He could tell, but she wouldn't admit it. "I don't know, and right now I am since I'm at wand point. To be honest…you fascinate me."

"I _what_?" he hissed, shell shocked. This girl had some serious issues if she was fascinated by him, the greasy bat of the dungeons.

"You may be – and I quote Ronald Weasley – 'The greasy dungeon git' but that doesn't mean you're entirely heartless. Yes, you can be confusing, but you protected Harry all these years. Underneath that cruel exterior – I think there's just a man who wants nothing more than to be loved in his own way, no matter how twisted and demented that method may be," she said blushing and smiling embarrassed.

"Fine," he hissed, jerking back. "this is bad. You know, and I'm screwed. Minerva's going to kill me…"

"Why would Professor McGonagall kill you? You've done nothing wrong," Sarah said. "And before you say it, by telling Voldemort that you fancied Lily, you saved Harry's life by giving Lily the option. He told her to shove off and she refused. He gave her the option, and she made her choice. You saved the whole world by relaying that message. Everyone may think that Harry's the hero, and in his own right he is, but he'd never have had that chance if it weren't for you."

"How much do you know?" Snape hissed. This was bad, she knew he was a wizard, and all about the war, and worse, he was an open book for her somehow!

"Whatever the series said," she replied simply, and he glared at her. She cringed, adding quietly. "The seven – how – fine, I'll come out and say it. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was the seventh in the series, and the one where you supposedly died by Nagini's venom. Apparently J. got it wrong on that last one."

"Damn," he hissed. "And you Muggles _know _about all this?"

"It's portrayed as fantasy, but yes, those who read the series know," she replied, eyeing him. She knew she couldn't win a fight, even if she tried. "If you're going to get rid of me, can you use the killing curse?"

"are you daft? I'd go to Azkaban," he hissed, then realized something. "You're still upset. You want out of here, yes?" she nodded a quick affirmative. "You said you'd rather stay with me than with your family?"

"You'd treat me a lot better than they do, I think," she grumbled.

"Good," Snape smirked. "Because I believe that I'm going to kidnap you."

"You're bluffing," Sarah beamed. "You'd really do that? Sweetness, when do we start?"

Severus stared at her dumbfounded that she hadn't protested, but instead agreed with him about his insane idea. He smirked, "Now. Grab five sets of clothes, put them in a bag or something, and for the love of Merlin, I don't want to see a mess in my house, so grab some feminine crap."

"Yes, sir," she whispered excitedly, and ran to the end of her bed.

Sarah yanked the comforter onto her bed, opening her closet doors and throwing a large duffel back out onto the bed, and then a smaller one. She grabbed a bunch of shirts from atop a white dresser, which was far too small, and jerked open the top drawer to reveal undergarments. Grabbing all of her underwear and her remaining bras, she stuffed them into the small duffel bag, which Snape made a mental note to never open unless his life depended upon it. Five T-shirts, five pairs of shorts, five sets of pants, five long sleeve shirts, two jackets, and one bag of feminine hygiene products and toiletries later, she turned to him and nodded. He jerked his head, and she followed, her heart racing.

"I tried this once," she whispered as they crept through the house. "Two and a half years ago. I was sixteen, rash, idiotic, and crept home with my tail between my legs as I got to the end of the street. It was so fun, and worth the scare that I gave my parents the next day. They gave me hell for it though, but I put my foot down and threatened another escape. That snapped them to their senses."

"Dunderhead," he muttered as they got to the back door. "Do you want the dog to come with us, or can we leave it?"

"I'd rather we took her," Sarah said. "I paid for her myself, and she's a purebred, although dog shows would never admit it like the cowards they are."

"Get her cage," Snape hissed, and Sarah shook her head.

"I can't. It's in my room, buried under a crate and bucket full of stuff," she whispered back. "But, I _might _be able to get the cat's cage. It's smaller, and she'll be mad, but it's the only choice we've got."

"Forget it, I'll come back for her later," Snape hissed as they made their way back to the debris he'd landed beside. "Come, there's not much time. I'm not sure about how I want to do this… I've got enough for two more plane tickets, but I'll need to apparate us."

"Okay, I'm ready," she whispered after steeling herself. He turned, and they went with a louder crack than before.


	5. Spinner's End

Chapter Five – Spinner's End

They landed, and Sarah immediately began crying and whimpering. Snape looked at her, waiting for her to throw up, but to his amazement it never happened. He handed her a potion of stomach soother, and she drank it, knowing he'd not kill her if he took the time to apparate her and wait on her like this. She focused on breathing deeply through her nose, and Severus smirked at her wisdom.

"You're used to throwing up," he said, and she nodded. "I'll let you tell me later. Right now, we've got a plane to catch."

She nodded, and they raced through the terminal. He put her hygiene products in with his check-in luggage, and she furrowed her brows until she remembered the no-liquids rule about airplanes. As they got on, she took a closer look at him, and noted that he was extremely unhappy, so she remained quiet as to not invoke his infamous temper. After a while, he began probing about her life, and she told him about how she'd been hospitalized for three months when she was an infant, how they'd not found the problem until a year later, and then had to repair the problem again when she was fourteen. He glared at her at first, but then his eyes began to narrow as she explained what had gone wrong with her body when she was so young.

"Damn," he muttered. "You Muggles are insane to be able to do that. Three months premature should have killed you, how the hell did you survive?"

"Miracle," she admitted sheepishly. "My parents were so worried, and they'd been just as desperate for a daughter as Mrs. Weasley, but my mom… she was actually allergic to having kids, it gave her high blood pressure and almost killed all three of us, getting worse each time she got pregnant."

"My father would have let you die," Severus said, "But me – I'm not sure what I'd do. I'd probably try to make something to relieve the high blood pressure and to lower it." _Or, you could be magic and never have known while it manifest around you in large outbursts._

"How're you in public, anyways?" Sarah whispered, and Severus smirked.

"Ever the curious one, aren't you?" he teased. "Very well, it's a simple thing of not getting noticed, if you catch my drift."

"Yes, yes I do," she grinned, knowing he'd cast a notice-me-not charm when she wasn't looking. "Now what do we do?"

"We wait," Severus replied, and pulled out a novel. Sarah shrugged and went to sleep, almost missing her laptop. She was still asleep when the plane landed, and Severus lightly shook her shoulder to wake her.

She was alert instantly, blinked at him, and nodded. He handed her bag down to her, much to her embarrassment, and grabbed his own bags as they headed out of the plane. She was ecstatic – they were real, and she was going to London! Holy crap, her mom would kill her! She followed him, and they reached an apparition point, to which he held out an arm. She nodded, taking it firmly, and once again doubled over when they landed, whimpering again, but not as much. Severus led her through the street and down to his home. He unlocked it in a very Muggle manner to slow things down and make himself appear normal, and they stepped inside.

It was with weary eyes that she looked around at her surroundings, taking everything in around her in awe. She was at Spinner's End, and in the nest of the King of Snakes, the dungeon bat himself. This would most definitely be the perfect dream, and she felt as though her heart were going to break at the thought of her family. She's up and left them without a note, and smiled at the thought of a world-wide search going on, but that wasn't likely.

"Something funny?" Severus asked, and Sarah nodded. "Care to share, then?"

"Mom's going to freak when she figures out her baby girl's gone," Sarah explained quietly. "I just finished my finals when you showed up behind us, with Carl as the mouthpiece. If I lose my scholarship… I don't know what I'll do…"

"We could always use a guidance counselor at Hogwarts," Severus grinned. "Or perhaps a little someone to help me grade papers?"

"You'd really do that?" Sarah asked tentatively, and he nodded. "Wow. Thank you. I feel like a dunderhead right now. I'm such a mess, I don't know what to do or think or – or anything, for that matter."

"Then don't," Severus retorted. "Just try to relax, or do I need to get a potion for that, too?"

"Probably," Sarah admitted. "I've been known to have panic attacks on occasion when I'm too stressed for too long, and with too many stress issues coming at me from all sides."

He handed her the potion and she drank it again, visibly relaxing within seconds. He ran a diagnostic charm, and found that she was actually a Muggle born witch – her magic was just being blocked by the medical device in her head that was keeping her alive. She lay out on the sofa, stretching and yawning like a cat. The fireplace roared to life, and Sarah jerked upright to find none other than Minerva McGonagall standing on the fireplace brushing the soot off her robes. She cringed, terrified of the deathly serious woman in front of her.

"Minerva, what in the name of Merlin's bloody blue beard are you doing here?" Snape hissed angrily, and Sarah smiled at the prospect of a duel. But, alas, she was a Muggle, and it wasn't allowed. Still, the thought was very entertaining to her, as was Snape's use of language.

"Coming to offer you the job again," she frowned, eyeing Sarah sourly. "I'm assuming this is a Muggle, Severus?"

"Muggle _born _actually," he corrected, and her jaw almost went slack until she realized she was in front of McGonagall, who'd likely yank it up with her wand. "I found her in America, but her abilities were suppressed by a Muggle healing device they put in her when she was a toddler. I wouldn't be surprised if St. Mungo's could heal her, though. Or even Poppy could heal her, for that matter."

"Severus," Minerva growled. "What the bloody hell are you saying?"

"Cat got her tongue," Sarah giggled quietly, and the animagus glared at her. Sarah's eyes dropped to the floor, and Severus' flared with fury.

"That is exactly why I brought her here, blast it, Minerva!" he said angrily. "I brought her here to get her away from all the crap she has at home – don't give me that look, fleabag, her own family is shunning her like she has the plague and has been for the past ten years – and now you go and do this, you insufferable Gryffindor!"

"If she's who you want, Severus, go right ahead," the old woman said. "I'm not going to stop you, but don't blame me if the press has a field day."

"Rita Skeeter's an illegal animagus," Sarah blurted out suddenly recalled it, and slapped her hands to her mouth.

"What?" Snape asked rounding on her. "When – never mind that one. What form?"

"Blue beetle," Sarah said simply, "I might be able to blackmail her like Hermione did back in their fourth year."

"You little genius," Severus smirked. "You'd make a wonderful Slytherin, even if you do have the rashness of a Gryffindor. You've got Hufflepuff's loyalty and Ravenclaw's brains, as well even though you hardly ever use the latter most. Hm… I guess we'll have to let the hat decide that when we get there, no?"

"Hey! I do to use my head! I just don't think before I act most of the time," Sarah objected blushing embarrassed at his words. He was both complimenting and insulting her, but who was she to care? She was with Snape!

"Case in point," he muttered, and the old witch glared at the teen. He cleared his throat before continuing, "However, first things first – I will possibly join over Christmas break, but I would like to see how Sarah is recovering first of all, and I may just have to teach her how to defend herself."

"Fine," McGonagall snapped, "Next year then since you'll be training her."

"Yay!" Sarah yelled out excitedly and dashed to hug the Potions Master. The older animagus stared, while said hugged man froze, both in shock that she'd hugged Snape.

"I'll leave you two be," Minerva said as she left for the fireplace, "Hogwarts, Headmistress' office!"

Sarah stared at the colors as the animagus left, and then back up at the still-startled Potions Master, who was staring at her apprehensively. She squeaked, then jumped back, thinking he was angry with her for what she'd done. He raised an eyebrow, asking if she'd like to get the Muggle device removed from her head. She stared at him in shock, unsure of how to continue with her heartbeat so erratic. He handed her a potion, and she saw her world turn to black as she collapsed into his waiting arms.


	6. Diagon Alley

Chapter Six – Diagon Alley

"How is she, Poppy?" Severus said.

"She'll be fine, Severus. I've removed it, so you'll want to take her to Diagon Alley. I've given her an immunization against Dragon Pox, among other diseases. You'll want to be careful – her accidental magic has had time to fester and build up, somehow making it stronger. She may even be as strong as you, one day, Severus. However, I wouldn't be surprised if she can hear us right now," the mediwitch said gently. "But I will _not _let her out of this hospital wing for another two days at least."

"Thank you, Poppy," Severus said gently as the doors opened.

"Professor Snape," she heard from a startled male.

"Potter, Granger, Weasley," he said curtly. "I assume you're hurt."

"Nah, we came to see how you guys were doing," Harry said kindly. "Who's this?"

"Late blooming muggle born whose abilities were suppressed by a Muggle medical device of some sort to keep the water off her brain," Poppy said tartly. "I had to slip her a few dreamless sleep potions while she was delirious to keep myself from going insane."

"Welcome to my world, Poppy," Severus smirked. "What nonsense did she prattle off now?"

"Um, Pikachu, Reshiram, Naruto, and Korra," she recited. "Any ideas?"

"Muggle TV shows," Severus dismissed. "The first two are part of Muggle games. Don't ask."

"When was the last day of her last cycle?" Poppy asked, and Severus paled.

"Poppy, she's lived with me less than a week, and I'm a male! I wouldn't know that crap!" he half yelled, trying not to flush with embarrassment. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a familiar to go fetch for her, among other things!"

"Coward," Ron snickered, and a vase rammed itself against his head. "Ow!"

"Oh, try not to upset her," Severus said as he stopped at the doors. "Any powerful sudden outburst of emotions is going to trigger her magic, whether for good or for bad."

Sarah lay there, listening to the trio's conversation behind the curtains that Madame Pomfrey had set up, yawning occasionally over the course of the next twelve hours. Her stomach was growling, but stopped when food was spelled into her empty digestive system as she pretended to sleep. With time, her searing migraine eased off into a throbbing headache, which seemed to stay no matter how hard she tried to dispel it. Her head hurt, very much like it had just after her surgery in 2008. She subconsciously went to rub it, finding it very flat where the shunt was. Wait, once was? Flat head?

Soon after she made the discovery and put the puzzle pieces together, a bloodcurdling scream could be heard, Sarah's panic rising quickly, and making it worse when Poppy showed up to try to soothe her charge. Sarah, unsure of who the new person was, panicked more, and Hermione stepped in alongside Harry, both of whom were trying to soothe the deranged teen from causing more damage to the school Hospital wing, and Ron's head. Somehow, the redhead had taken the vast majority of the forces from the accidental magic. Severus returned a few minutes later, watching the panic of the girl unfold in front of him. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and used his own magic to cancel hers out with ease.

At the feel of his familiar magic, she calmed down, turning to face him with fearful eyes waiting to be reprimanded. Harry and Hermione were now huddled under a couple beds, Madame Pomfrey barricaded in her office, and Ronald Weasley out like a candle flame in a thunderstorm. He smirked at the chaos that she was able to cause so easily, striding towards her nimbly with the greatest of ease.

"I don't blame you," he said at long last as she started whimpering in expecting his wrath, or worse things from the Potions Master. "You can't control it yet, but that's what I'm here for. To teach you how to best control your magic. Potions making will have to wait until after you're done with Charms and Defense, possibly Transfiguration if I can manage that. Sadly, that is Minerva's specialty, not mine, but I can at least show you the basics. We'll head to Diagon Alley as soon as you're able to be released."

"You can keep her, Severus!" Poppy called out from her office. "I'm not leaving until she's gone! That child is a hellion, and I'll be damned if I have to see hide or hair of her again without you around!"

"Ah. That," Severus smirked, "Nicely done. Even I'm not able to scare her into submission. Not even Minerva can, and Albus couldn't either. Yes, you'll be a powerful one, alright. Making it all the more important to get your things quickly. Can you stand?"

"I – I think so," Sarah said, hesitantly following him. She was slow, but he kept her stride just after transfiguring her hospital gown back into a Muggle dress. "Wow. Thanks."

"Black suits you better," he simply said as he led her to McGonagall's office. When they got there, the headmistress stared at how quickly Sarah had recovered, startled at the lack of time.

Two days had passed, three total including the one where Severus had left to momentarily get her things for her. He'd left them at Spinner's End for her, grabbing her laptop, Ipod, Manga volumes (which he assumed were worth something to her if she had more than thirty volumes of the bloody series), and of course, her flash drives and pillow.

"Well, how do you want to do this, Severus? Teach her privately and catch her up later, I presume?" the animagus asked, and he nodded. "Very well. I shall see you both next year. Good Luck to the both of you until then."

"Thank you, ma'am," Sarah said shyly as she followed Severus out the door. "Have a nice summer!"

Severus scowled as he took her around Diagon Alley for the first time. She'd been able to withdraw all her money at various ATM's abroad, thanks to his help apparating her to various parts of the counties, and her parents were probably becoming frantic. Naturally, Sarah put her things in a separate pile in Severus' Gringott's vault after getting all her Muggle money exchanged for Wizard. This was just far too easy, and this was going to be very, very fun for her, she knew. As tempting as it was to go look at the Weasley's joke shop, she didn't want to drive Severus bonkers when he was being so kind to her so soon after "kidnapping" her. She'd made sure to remind the Golden Trio that it wasn't kidnapping since she was more than willing to join him.

Their final location was Ollivander's, which was now back in business, and getting more orders than before. Sarah walked in, peeking curiously, and the old man came out from the shelves. She smiled sheepishly, muttering a quick greeting before turning to find that Severus had joined her since she was now scared. After letting him know she was right-handed, the tape began to measure her, but to her amazement, watching Severus had more appeal to her.

"Try this one," Ollivander said as he scowled at her lack of attention to his theatrics. "Holly and unicorn hair, thirteen inches."

Sarah closed her eyes, recalling the swish and flick instructions, and performed them perfectly as she pointed at a piece of paper on his desk, which caught fire. She squeaked, pushing the wand away in shock and fear. Wands soon began piling up, and one final wand was pulled out by a very excited, yet grim, Ollivander. Sure enough, as soon as Sarah touched it, she felt the connection with the wand, letting it fill her.

"How interesting," he said with a smile. "It appears that you have a sister wand to that of Mr. Snape here."

"What?" they asked in unison, her in excitement, him in disbelief and horror. That meant no dueling her, and that made him angry. "How?"

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out," he grinned. Oh, Sarah and Severus both wanted to punch him at that moment. "Five galleons, please."

Sarah laid the money down on his desk and stalked out of the office, putting her arm on Severus' so he could apparate them to Spinner's End. He smirked, leading her instead to the Weasley's joke shop, prodding her inside and using a glamour charm to make her look eleven.

"Wow, Professor Snape! I didn't think I'd see you here!" Ginny and George Weasley said excitedly. "I can only assume you have a curious Muggle born at your side?"

"yes, Weasley," he groaned, "Now bug off before I hex you."

"Sir, when exactly is your birthday?" Sarah asked curiously, and he glared at her. "Just curious."

"January ninth," he hissed in her ear. "And don't you _dare _think about using any of this on me, do you hear?"

"Ja, ich höre dir," she replied, and he glared at her. "It means 'yes, I hear you' in German. I picked up quite a bit after taking two years of it in High school. I also took a year of Chinese, got to go to China as a Graduation present, which I didn't earn, by the way, since I got my GED, and then started college and began to again try to teach myself Japanese."

"Language nut, much?" he asked, and her eyes widened. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just speculating, that's all. Geez, why take the trouble to get you away from your clan to treat you like they did?"

"You _kidnapped _her?" Ginny and George asked in shock as they again approached the pair.

"It's not kidnapping if it's willing," Sarah pointed out. "Which I was, and very desperate to get out of the bloody hellhole that I had to call home. America, if you're wondering."

"Wow, that was... Slytherin-y…" Ginny said backing off. "You _do _realize he's in his fifties, right?"

"So? A wise man once said 'age knows no time nor limit, just bounds'," Sarah quoted. "Don't ask me who said that, I have no idea, and I just know it was some wise guy."

"You mean like Snape?" Ginny asked, and Sarah blushed beet red, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Oh my god, you _like _him, don't you?"

"That will be more than enough interrogating my student, Miss Weasley," Severus cut in. "I _do _have to tutor her later, although I daresay she's already got a bit of the basics down somewhat, and if my guess is correct, she'll also know a few spells already for being a Muggleborn."

"It's Potter now, Professor," Ginny corrected with a huff of indignation. "Wait, like Potions tutoring? Ouch."

"No,_ Potter_," he said with venom clear in his voice. "The tutoring is because her abilities were bound until a few days ago, and so now I must teach her everything for the first two years in a matter of months. Thus, the Potions aspect will have to wait until Charms and Defense are up to par. I'll let Minerva handle the Transfiguration teachings, I always did hate it."

"Ich habe hunger," Sarah whined quietly, but her stomach said it louder by revealing its intentions, to which she once again blushed beet red. "Nice shop. Is it alright if we take a short trip back home and use some of this on my cousins, Professor?"

"You lunatic," he said shaking his head. "Are you daft? Better to wait a year, let them think you're dead, and then surprise them. For good measure, you could write a letter saying that you were kidnapped, tortured, and want to say one last goodbye before they torture you to death or sell you to a slave market."

"You wickedly evil man! I love it!" Sarah grinned widely before hugging him again. "I love the way your mind works! It's so cruel, but it's just what they deserve!"

"Yes, yes," Snape scowled. "Now get _off_. I still have to go by the Apothecary, damn it."

She withdrew, grinning like an idiot and blushing crimson and deeper in embarrassment, her hearbeat going wild. What on earth was it with her and falling for the snarky, horribly cruel, and heartless snake men, she asked herself, First Orochimaru, now Snape! Well, at least it's not Voldemort.

"Voldy," she snorted with a wide grin, causing the Potions Master and the two Weasley's to give her a sparing, and wary, glance.

"If you're going to buy, then buy so we can go," Severus said stiffly as he crossed his arms around his chest angrily.


	7. Intervention

Chapter Seven – Intervention

Severus was quite glad she already knew how to perform some spells to a small degree. Within mere hours she was filling cups with water, levitating books onto the top shelf of the bookcase, casting protecting shields, and petrifying him temporarily. It took a little more practice for some of the other spells (Accio, Expelliarmus, Rictumsempra, Levicorpus, Mobilicorpus, and Incendio to name a few) and a few more to get to use it in Transfiguration, which she failed at miserably. Thus, they decided to ignore it to focus on Charms and Defense, which she was already proving to be quite good at.

She was practicing the spells, and had memorized and been able to perform more than four dozen Charms and three dozen defense spells, jinxes, and curses. She was a prodigy, Severus smiled, and he was more than happy to have her as a private student, meaning he could take all the credit for her abilities, as well as shortcomings. She'd scared the daylights out of him in June when on the twenty first she insisted that she practice nothing but hexes, curses, and jinxes at a couple dummies that she'd set up. This scared him, but he let it go thinking it was a one-time thing. It wasn't.

July fourth and sixth were both days of extreme anger for her, and she again insisted upon training in these kinds of spells. August ninth was a day that she progressed exponentially, her magic being fuelled by rage for some reason that day, and the twelfth was a day that she didn't want to do anything at all, much to his shock. The twenty-third was a day that she made up for the twelfth by practicing Charms and Transfiguration all day. All day, every day, studying was what she did. He smiled when he was able to give her an exam at the end of the summer to prove that she was, as he suspected, ready to move on to the dangerous animals and more material of the second year's nature.

Halloween however, was a day that he wanted off, and she happily oblidged him with complete understanding. She'd also revealed why she wanted the twelfth off – her birthday, her nineteenth. Sarah was now at her third year levels, nearing completion and it was making him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time – pride. He sighed as he stared up at the ceiling thinking about Lily. He fell asleep, and began to dream of her once more.

"Sev," Lily said, appearing in his dream. "I'm glad you let your shields down today, my friend."

"Lily," Snape gasped. "You – of course, today's the day that the veil between the living and the dead is the weakest. But – after all these years – why now? Why not before?"

"You were too busy with the war, and too wrapped up in your own messes before today," she smiled gently. "Open up to her, Severus. Give her a chance, even though she's young enough to be your daughter, give her a chance. Thanks for taking care of Harry for me all those years."

"You're not leaving, are you?" he asked worriedly, and she laughed and shook her head. "Okay, I'm just checking. I can't bear to – how – I can't. I can't open up to any other woman, Lily, you know that."

"You already have, Severus," she soothed. "Besides, her background reminds me almost of yours, just in a different manner of … not abuse, but emotional turmoil. She'll remember the bad about her family more than the good, but for you, I think she'll make an exception. She probably still thinks that this is all just a bunch of hocus pocus. Speaking of which, she's watching that movie right now."

"Okay," Severus said shrugging. "But she's already learned so much without me."

"You're wrong there, Severus," Lily cut in. "If it were anyone else, she wouldn't be trying anywhere near this hard. Not because she doesn't want you hounding on her, but because she wants to prove herself worthy of you. She wants to prove to herself and to you that she's worth bringing to Spinner's End from America, the suburbs, no less of all places! She's ashamed of her past, Severus, and you need to help her with that."

"How?" Severus asked confused. "How?"

"Be yourself," Lily explained. "And it wouldn't hurt to compliment her once in a while, or to join her in her shenanigans – as long as they're within my reasoning, which most of them will be, I promise – and to be there for support when she needs you. Oh, James, Sirius and Remus all say that they're really, really sorry for everything. They – they were telling me to tell you that if they were here, they'd be groveling at your feet for mercy. No lie."

"Thanks, Lily. For the sake of their sanity – and mine – I might be able to forgive them, if given time. But how – how can _you _forgive _me_?" he asked worriedly, and she smiled softly.

"By telling him you fancied me, you gave me the choice, and I chose to die for Harry. By begging for my life, you saved Harry's, and I thank you for sending me to my doom, Severus," Lily said quietly. "Because if you hadn't, that madman would still be ruling the country, possibly the whole world, and you'd be insane from being a spy for so long. Now go – there's a hyperactive brunette who needs your loving care."

"I'm sorry, Lily," Severus whispered. "I forgive you, all of you, but it will take time. I will try, but I'm not sure if she's willing to look past my past to see me for a man."

"She will, Sev," Lily assured as she faded. "she wouldn't trust you otherwise."

Severus got up, headed out to the living room, and sure enough, saw Sarah watching a Muggle movie called 'Hocus Pocus'. He shook his head but sat down next to her, watching as the blonde witch, Sarah, began singing. His Sarah, the one next to him, began singing as well, softly, having already memorized the words long ago.

_Come Little Children, I'll take thee away. _

_Into a land of enchantment. _

_Come little children, the time's come to play._

_Here in my garden Of magic._

He stared at the movie, glancing at her as she sang in her soft, yet somehow almost raspy, soprano. It was clear to him that she hadn't sung in a very long time, but for some odd reason he wanted to hear more from her. He somehow liked it when she sang, it made him feel like he's just brewed a brand new, never before invented potion. The song was short lived, and he scowled when the movie was finally over, not liking the ending.

"I know, you don't like the ending, but it was part of their spell," Sarah shrugged with an evil grin, "And as an added bonus, we can watch Tim Burton's _Nightmare Before Christmas _if you want since it's about Halloween makers taking over Christmas."

"As much as I like the idea," Severus began slowly, not sure of how to word his thoughts. "I was thinking of something a little different. Perhaps karaoke?"

"Ah, um, I'm not very good at that when the video's are playing," she admitted. "And some of the songs on my Ipod are just wrong and…"

"What your brother would call porn?" Severus asked, and she nodded ashamed. "I won't judge. Most music I hear and remember is from the seventies or about idiocy with the opposite gender."

"What did ollivander mean by 'sister wand', Professor?" Sarah asked, and Severus smirked.

"You'd make a very good Muggle Studies teacher, did you know that?" he asked, and she gaped at him in awe. "You'll be fine, you're Muggle born, raised as a Muggle, probably know more than most Muggle Studies teachers, and know how to defend yourself for the most part."

"But- but I haven't graduated yet!" she objected, confused at his offer.

"That won't stop me from putting you in school next fall," he smirked. "Oh, actually… perhaps this spring? Horace wants to retire, and you're already at the third year level on your Charms and defense… I could write Minerva to see if she can give you some Transfiguration advice, or be able to take you there on the weekends for training with her, if you like. You'll need to start your third year, complete it, and then move on to the fifth year. Knowing you, you'll be able to do it all in one summer, and I will even go as far to say that you've studied more adamantly than even Miss Granger did."

Sarah stared at him shocked. He was complimenting her, offering her advice and help, and then he was saying that she was better than one of the famous Golden Trio members? No! She was nothing compared to them, a mere candle light next to the bonfire that was them! Why on earth was he helping her? Pity? Loneliness? A desire to teach someone who wouldn't blow up a classroom in potions? She sighed, looking at the bookcase sadly, knowing that no matter what, she'd always be inferior to Hermione Granger, the insufferable know-it-all who got an Order of Merlin First Class for being the nagging witch who kept Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley in line during their insane years at Hogwarts and on the run.

Suddenly, the Floo flared up to life, to reveal Harry Potter himself, dressed in all black, and followed by Hermione Granger. Sarah's eyes widened, and she left the room, not wanting her rescuer to see her cry.

"I'm sorry, Potter, Granger, could you excuse me for a moment while I go soothe my charge from whatever damage I have inadvertently – and unintentionally, I can assure you – done?" Severus asked, and they nodded. He stalked up the stairs, heading into the second bedroom to check up on the tiny female, only to stop cold and find her crying her eyes out. He leaned closer, taking heed not to make any noise so he could hear what she was sobbing.

"I can't believe it!" Sarah sobbed. "How the hell can he do that? I'm nothing compared to her, nothing! I can't even cast a patronus, much less erase someone's mind or go on a fantastic trip like she did! I'm nothing like her, I'm a nobody! What the hell does he see in me? Why do I always have to be the inferior one in life? He says I'm better, but I'm not! She's probably two to five years older than me, and is already advanced in magic more than I'll ever be! How can he – why does he put up with teaching me when I can't even figure out most of the wizard customs?"

"Sarah?" Severus knocked at that moment. "May I come in, little one?"

"Go away!" she sobbed, and he sighed through his nose and pinched the bridge of it. "I don't hear footsteps! I said go away!"

"No, child, I want to talk to you," Severus said evenly. "At least tell me what's wrong and how I can help fix it. if it's something I said wrong, then I apologize for offending you. I really did mean it when I said you were the better of the two of you."

"You're just saying that so I'll quite crying!" she screamed at him, and her sobbing carried downstairs to Harry and Hermione, who were wary of what would happen to the girl.

"Sarah," Severus said calmly, "What's wrong? Are you homesick? I can help you get a letter to them if you are, child. Just tell me what's wrong, and I'll do anything and everything that is legally in my power to fix it."

"Kill me," she muttered. "use the unforgivable that you used so often in the war and put me out of my misery."

Severus, however, had heard what she'd said and his eyes widened, his throat clenching with fear, and he put his wand to the doorknob, knowing she hadn't learned how to relock it with magic yet. He walked in to find her lying on her side, curled up under her blanket, and sulking moodily. He sat on the edge of the bed and began to silently think of what to say to her so as not to reveal that he hadn't been listening to her rantings.

"Sarah," he murmured. "I will do no such thing to you, no matter how hard you beg. You're already ready to begin Charms and Defense spells and books for the fourth years, and you've only been studying for a mere couple months. It's taken Miss Granger _seven years _to get to the point that she's at now, and I'm sure you will be able to get there as well if given two more years of this ravenous studying habit. If it's more defense spells you're worried about, I can teach you, but you must also remember that she had three, four other classes aside from the two that you are learning right now. So far, you are doing so much better than she could have hoped for if she were in your position.

"Your stamina is incredible for spell casting, and you're very adept and quick to learn more battle strategies. You're very, very smart, even though you sometimes act without thinking, but then again, who doesn't? I know that was one mistake I made when I joined the Death Eaters. Don't let it bother you, Sarah, I meant it as a compliment, not an insult. If I offended you, I apologize. I'm not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to know that you're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

"What if I'm not in Slytherin?" She asked quietly as he stood up to leave, and he smiled.

"Then one of the other houses will have gained a truly remarkable witch prodigy in their ranks," he said gently, "Even more so than Granger. Comparable probably only to myself or Dumbledore now that I think about it…"

"Will you stop saying that? I'm nothing but a good-for-almost-nothing idiot who can't seem to do ninety percent of what I do right, and I screw up so often it's not even funny."

"Yes, but you're a proud screw up," Severus said. "And that's a good thing. Remember what Hinata told Naruto right before he went to go beat up Neji? Well, this is pretty much that same conversation from her end on my part, kiddo. You're clumsy, a screw up, but no matter what, you always get back up and try all the harder to please people. You're a member of the magical community now, Sarah, and as such, I will treat you as such. If your family doesn't like it, then they can go to hell and you can move all your things to live with me if you like. That's not a threat, that's a promise."

Sarah looked at him, with a tiny voice in her head saying to trust him and that he meant it. She knew her lower lip was quivering, so she buried her head in his robes to hide her tears.

"Don't be afraid to cry in front of me, child when we are alone," he soothed. "Not everyone would believe that I'm not the heartless bastard that I make myself out to be. Please try to remember that, _Hime_*."

"Severus," she sobbed, burying her head deeper so she could hide and listen to his heartbeat, a deep and resonating sound that would forever be able to calm her sorrows if she just focused on it. "I'll – I'll try to make you proud, I promise. I – I'll try not to let you down like I did my parents."

"Come, there's a song or two I think you need to hear," Severus soothed as he led her back downstairs.


	8. Better than the Great Hall

Chapter Eight – Better Than the Great Hall

A/N: if it's italics and it says that Snape is singing, then he's singing alongside Sarah. If he's singing and there's bold and italics phrases mixed up, then his is the bold and hers is the italics. During those songs, they'll be singing in unison during both bold and italics, kay?

As soon as Sarah heard the beginning of the Bryan Adam's song that was featured on _Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron_, she knew what she had to do. Singing the song would at least ease some of the pain, and she didn't care. Singing was an escape for her, whether Severus liked it or not. To all of the youth's shock, Severus joined in with a clear baritone.

_Sound the Bugle Now._

_Play it just for me._

_As the seasons change, remember how I used to be._

_Now I can't go on. _

_I can't even start._

_I've got nothing left; Just an empty heart._

_I'm a soldier, wounded so I must give up the fight. _

_There's nothing more for me._

_Lead me away._

_Leave me lying here._

_Sound the bugle now._

_Tell them I don't care._

_There's not a road I know that leads to anywhere._

_Without a light I fear that I will stumble in the dark._

_Lay right down the side, not to go on._

_Then from on high, somewhere in the distance,_

_There's a voice that calls "Remember who you are._

_If you lose yourself, your courage soon will follow._

_So be strong tonight._

_Remember who you are."_

_Yeah, you're a soldier now! _

_Fighting in a battle!_

_To be free what's more!_

_Yeah, that's worth fighting for!_

As soon as the song finished, Sarah felt somewhat better, but Severus flicked his wand and the speakers that were projecting her Ipod's songs were now projecting another, different song, this one featured in Andrew Lloyd Webber's _Love Never Dies_. Severus immediately took Phantom's part and Sarah took the role that Christine's son would have filled.

**Have you ever yearned to go past the world you think you know? **

**Been enthralled to the call of the beauty underneath?**

**Have you let it draw you in, past the place where dreams begin**

**Felt the full breathless pull of the beauty underneath?**

**When the dark unfolds its wings do you sense the strangest things? **

**Things no one would ever guess?**

**Things mere words cannot express? **_Yes!_

**Do you find yourself beguiled by the dangerous and wild?**

**Do you feed on the need for the beauty underneath?**

**Have you felt your senses surge and surrendered to the urge and been and been hooked as you looked at the beauty underneath?**

**When you stare behind the night, can you glimpse its primal might?**

**Might you hunger to possess, hunger that you can't repress? **_Yes!_

_It seems so beautiful! So strange yet beautiful!_

_Everything's just as you say!_

**And he's so beautiful, perhaps too beautiful…**

**What I suspect cannot be…**

**And yet somehow we both see**

**The very same way!**

_Is there music in your head? Have you followed where they've lead_

_And been graced with a taste of the beauty underneath!_

_Does it fill your every sense? Is it terribly intense?_

_Tell me you need it too!_

_Need the beauty underneath!_

_**When it lifts its voice and sings**_

_**Don't you feel amazing things?**_

_**Things you know you can't confess,**_

_**Things you thirst for nonetheless.**_

_It seems so beautiful! (_**Can it be?**_)_

_Almost too beautiful!_

_**Do you see what I see?**_

**To her it's beautiful,**

**My world is beautiful.**

_How can this be what it seems?_

_**All of my most secret dreams**_

_**Somehow set free~!**_

**You can feel it. **_Yes._

**Come closer. **_Yes._

**You've no fear of the beauty underneath. **_A-h!_

**You can face it? **_Yes._

**You can take it? **_Yes._

**You see through to the beauty underneath. **

**To the splendor! **_Splendor!_

**And the glory! **_Glory!_

**To the truth of the beauty underneath! **_(the Beauty underneath!)_

**You accept it? **_Yes!_

**You embrace it? **_Yes!_

**Let me show you the beauty underne-ath.**

**To the splendor! **_Splendor!_

**And the glory! **_Glory!_

**To the truth of the beauty underneath! **_(The Beauty underneath!)_

**You'll accept it? **_Yes!_

**You'll embrace it? **_Yes!_

**Let me show you the beauty under-**

_*bloodcurdling scream as Severus pretends to take off a mask*_

Harry and Hermione stared at the two as they sang, not believing their eyes at all. This teenage girl was singing alongside their feared Potions Master, and not afraid of him when he was sneering and taunting, or even when he was standing with his hands across his chest! And she was smiling as they sang, while he was sneering at her! how blind was this girl! _Was _she blind, they wondered with frowns on their faces, their mouths gaping in horror. She was even coming near him when he told her, getting close enough for them to touch or even kiss if they were bumped from behind. Not that anyone would be stupid enough to do that to Snape, they caught quickly.

"Nice scream," Severus smirked. "Far better and louder than the one Granger let out when trying to get away from that bloody troll in her first year…"

"Devil take the hindmost," Sarah quoted from another one of the songs from _Love Never Dies_, then switching over to quoting a song from youtube she heard. "Here in my garden of Shadows!" Almost immediately, the song was changed to that, and it began playing in the background.

"Well, here's to Lily and James for their sacrifice," Severus said as he brought four cups and a mug of fizzy grapejuice out. "We don't have alcoholic beverages here, kids."

"Just the way I like it," Sarah grinned and she took a goblet after Harry and Hermione had, and Severus poured each of them a glass. "To Lily and James Potter, and to all those who died fighting Voldemort and his followers."

"Hear hear," the three former Hogwarts attendees agreed before clinking the four glasses and draining them slowly. Hermione was obviously upset about something, but Snape had had enough comforting of the females for one night, or even a month and week for that matter.

"Hey, check out the news!" Harry said, and Sarah swerved to find a photo of herself on it, saying she was missing. "What the hell did you do?"

"Ran away from home," Sarah grinned maniacally. "Good thing, too, cause I'm a Muggle born and was losing control of my magic at long last in rare and extremely powerful outbursts. Usually the result of some sort of powerful fear, almost never anger, but occasionally I got depressed enough for it. Eight grade first year, don't ask."

"Suicidal?" Severus asked, and she shook her head. "Oh, the time you first tried to run away but ran home terrified." She shook her head again.

"I got held back," she admitted. "I was a stubborn mule and didn't do hardly any homework at all during that time in my life I was so angry and upset about the fact that everyone had abandoned me for the fourth time since I'd moved there. All the even numbered grades up till that point I was alone, and the odd was when I had two or three friends, seven at the most in seventh grade, ironically enough. Can we be quiet? I want to hear this."

"In further news, a teenage girl gets kidnapped without a trace in Conway, Arkansas in America. She has been missing for four months now, but there has been neither hair nor hide of her anywhere, not even on facebook or the internet."

"Muggle things," Sarah explained shortly.

"Sarah Denning is the now-nineteen year old only-daughter of Robert and Jennifer Denning. If you see her, please contact your local authorities – she is considered armed, dangerous, and possibly in the hands of a serial killer and rapist," the newsreporter finished. "Strangely, not two days later, her purebred dog disappeared in a like manner as her. No doors were unlocked, no fingerprints or gloveprints were left behind at the scenes of the crime aside from those under the roof, but footprints suggest a kidnapper. The two parents are offering a one thousand dollar reward for the safe return of their daughter."

"Sweet! Rip off my parents and then do it all over again!" Sarah crowed, and Harry and Hermione almost dropped their cups in shock. "Can we, Professor, can we? _Please?_"

"No," he frowned. "They'll know. They'll recognize me immediately, so no."

"Not if we used the Polyjuice potion from a stranger in an airport!" Sarah grinned, and he stared at her ingenius conniving mind. "Please? I want to get back at them for the crap they gave me! Not quite as bad as Harry's, but bad enough to give me a few breakdowns a year."

"I suppose we could rip them off," Severus grinned evilly. "If you were dressed in rags and were filthy nasty. It wouldn't be hard at all. Better yet, I could hide you in plain sight the second time. This is so much better than the Great Hall on Halloween!"


	9. Ultimatums

Chapter Nine – Ultimatums

Sarah was ecstatic about the scam, and immediately set to work. She rolled around in mud, made sure that twigs and leaves were in her hair, and ensured that her hands looked like they'd been bound a few days prior. Severus had all the plans working perfectly, and chose a random male in the New York area, snatching the man's ID and a few hairs before apparating himself and Sarah to the hideout, which was the house he'd emptied out before. It still had bug issues, so he cast warding charms to keep the bugs away, making Sarah an extremely happy camper. Two days later, they stole out in the middle of the night, and drove a random vehicle home from a random car lot that had been left and broken beyond repair. Severus knocked on the door, and Sarah's mother answered it hesitantly, even though it was one in the freaking morning.

"Sarah! My baby, oh my baby!" she gasped, pulling her daughter into a tight embrace. It made Snape want to vomit, but he held his tongue and facial expression in check. "Oh, how can I ever thank you? Oh, wait, here – one, two – two thousand dollars in cash is in that safe, sir! Oh, thank you so much! You have no idea how much she means to me!"

"I would want someone to do the same for me if I had a child that was missing, ma'am," Severus said nodding curtly. "But, alas, I'm single, and women hate me for unfathomable reasons. Well, good luck, kid."

Sarah nodded, and watched as Severus drove off, being careful to leave her alone for a few days and watch from his hideout, which he'd apparated back to in order to avoid suspicion. After two days of her running around in the woods, and her mother spoiling her rotten, only to scream at her angrily in the evenings for not doing chores (But, Mom, I was gone for months! Why should I have to do chores when I don't even want to live here anymore?), and smacking her daughter across the face whenever she argued for more than three minutes or disobeyed. Severus was tempted to barge in and use an obliviation spell, but he knew that Sarah's plan would be much more rewarding. And indeed it was.

Sarah wrote out in quick, heartless words:

_Mom, Dad, Sam, Joe, and to anyone else to whom this may concern:_

_I'm leaving, and I'm never coming back. this town has been almost nothing but hell for me, and the only good thing that I can see that came out of it was getting out of school, learning Chinese, and finding myself a few male friends. I'm leaving, I'm going to a faraway place where nobody will ever be able to reach me for the rest of my life if I so choose. _

_Mom, I'm sick of being ordered around like some sort of slave. I'm not one, so fuck off._

_Dad, focus more on your princess more next time and do as she says a little more, with a little more respect. I never asked for much, just to be left alone after long school weeks and while I did my homework. _

_Sam, I want to say that I love you, but if I did that would be a lie. You're the worst brother I could have asked for and were rarely supportive whenever I was going through a phase or practicing foreign languages at the table to make sure I didn't lose my touch with them like I did with German._

_Joe, I haven't seen you in three years, and I know it'll be a lot longer. I love you, you sentimental peacemaker._

_Sledge family: get your act together. Randall, buck up and get a job like the man you're supposed to be, and Jenny needs to stop being the one to do all the work. Take some initiative, all of you. Kim, you've done well, but Randall needs to get his butt smacked with a "swiss cheese paddle". Bobbie, lose some weight – heaven knows you desperately need it. Chrissy and Cassy, stop arguing and just put up with each other, you're twins for the love of snakes!_

_Moline Family: Less piano lessons, more bonding time at a Nintendo in Sam's house. Less bratty bald females who are too full of themselves, and more girls who can be approached by anyone anytime, and give us some more hugs once in a while. The two boys are fine just the way they are – don't change that, except the piano thing._

_Chelle: Stop spoiling Saphy, and smack some sense into her. Please, for the sake of the world before the apocalypse comes by her getting married before me. I side beside what I said about the two Moline boys, and keep your son in line in the same manner they would. Lots of Nintendo, wahoo!_

_To anyone else willing to go to my funeral: I bid you farewell, and it was nice knowing you, but duty calls, and I'm not going to put up with my house life anymore. Thank you for all your love and support throughout my years, even when I myself was a spoiled rotten brat up until I finally got a brain at fourteen for who knows what reason. _

_May the odds be ever in your favors._

_Sarah Denning_

Sarah laid it out upon the table, headed out, and made a beeline for the back of the road, following the loop a ways, and coming out at the highway. She knew the grass was soft with morning dew, but she followed the highway anyways to walk down the road, head back up the gravel drive towards the house that Severus was hiding in, and flipped the bird at the house that she'd just left as she passed it. Yes, she grinned, making one giant untraceable circle was well worth it since they wouldn't be able to track anyone's footsteps this time.

"Done," she grinned, and he stared at her. "I left a note this time, making it look like I left to go outside and commit suicide. They'll probably have an open casket funeral for me. Can I go to it if I dye my hair and put on contacts?"

"That will be years from now," he objected, but smirked. He recalled attending his own funeral, and it was hilarious and priceless to see the looks on people's faces when he walked in as they left to bury his empty casket. Needless to say, they were all appalled, and Harry had even had the nerve to tackle him into a hug to check to see if he was real. "but, it was fun to do so at mine, even though I crashed it. I don't see why not. Show up a year or so later with a spouse or child in tow just to scare the crap out of people."

"Oh, you devious genius," Sarah whispered excitedly. Somehow, when she was with him, she felt … complete. "Can we go home now?"

"Most definitely," he smirked, waving the airplane tickets in front of her. "I transfigured these, but the two people they originally belonged to aren't going to be happy at all. Come."

He held his arm out and she side-along apparated with him to the familiar airport, flying back to England, and then apparated them back to Spinner's end from there. They walked in the front door, laughing and chuckling like hooligans at the prank they'd just played on her parents, and the new money they suddenly found themselves in possession of.

"Hey, let's kidnap my second older brother and hold him captive while mom and dad pay blackmail money!" Sarah yelled out suddenly, as she raced upstairs.

Within minutes, she was back downstairs with no recollection of ever walking down there. Oh well, but she decided to yell out something random to get Snape downstairs, but only managing to succeed in startling the other two witches and wizards that had just arrived at Snape's house.

"Potter, you, Granger, and the Weasley family are not welcome to my house anytime you want, damn it, boy!" Snape yelled out, and they cringed. "I don't care how worried you were! Stop coming to my house unannounced and uninvited!"

"What about her?" Ron asked, pointing at Sarah, who was back to copying Potions recipes from my old textbooks, ones that I'd created myself after much experimenting.

"She's welcome here for as long as she wants," Snape spat. "Speaking of which, Sarah, how long do we have to wait until your parents assume you dead?"

"Anywhere from two seconds to twenty years," she replied. "I have no idea. Personally, I think it would be very fun to attend my own funeral – it'd be a riot, that's for sure!"

"indeed," Severus smirked. "Best time of my Death Eater days was when I crashed my own funeral."

"I remember that!" Ron laughed. "Sorry, but it was just so funny! So, is this your legendary prodigy, Professor?"

"Bakamono," Sarah said, and Snape couldn't help but smirk and hold back a chuckle. "Ne, Sensei, what's the difference between a tuft of weasel fur and ferret fur?"

"Family lineage," Severus replied, immediately getting the hidden meaning. The younger witches and wizards didn't, with the exception of Hermione who gave her a pointed glare. "Yes, Weasley, this is my legendary prodigy. Beginning fourth year charms fairly soon, still copying potions notes for later, and I have yet to hear back from Minerva about helping her with Transfiguration."

"Sensei, owl," Sarah said, and the Potions Master went to retrieve it. He smirked, slamming the parchment down on her desk for her to read. She read and reread the letter a few times, making sure she got it right. "Wow, this should come in handy. Who? Ah, never mind. Thanks, Professor!"

"Sure," Severus replied shortly as he went back to his conversation with the Golden Trio. Every so often the cracking of knuckles could be heard, but it was just Sarah giving her hands a rest.

"Sir," Ron said as it was getting dark. "If you think she's this good of a student, and is going to be powerful someday, then why not put your two abilities together and have a kid with her?"

It suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Severus was staring in shock, then anger at Ron's words, his face flushing a bright red. Sarah was flushing a bright red from embarrassment and almost began having a panic attack. She started throwing hexes and jinxes, with the counters of course mixed in, at the two dummies on the far end of the room, which was turning out rather well. She was performing fifth and sixth year hexes and Defense spells now, with fourth and fifth year level spells in Charms. The four youth immediately had their wands out and ready, with Snape jumping backwards to defend his prized pupil alongside her. he knew that none of the Unforgivable curses would be cast, but wasn't sure if she knew that. She'd never been in a dueling situation before, and he'd gone easy on her during training.

Before anyone could do anything, Ron let out a spell, and a snake slithered towards her. Snape made a move to vanish it, but Ginny was faster and threw a jinx at him, launching herself into the fray, alongside Harry, who would defend her, and Hermione, who would defend him. While Snape dueled the Golden Trio, Ginny stared sadly at the snake, until she realized what Sarah was doing. Sarah was whispering, but Ginny had no idea what to do. In order to call the duel off, she did the only thing she could think of.

"My god, she's a Parselmouth!" Ginny yelled, and the Golden Trio froze, Ron taking a silencing charm from Snape since the latter knew he couldn't perform nonverbal spells. "The girl's a Parselmouth?"

"^Can you understand me?^" Harry asked in Parseltongue, and Sarah's eyes furrowed in confusion.

"^Y-yes… why wouldn't I be able to?^" she asked, also in Parseltongue, and all five of the Hogwarts attendees stared in shock at this new revelation. "What?"

"Sarah," Snape said firmly. "We need to talk."

She froze, covered in cold sweat and hearing maniacal laughter so loud it felt like her ears would burst.


	10. Christmas Preparations

Chapter Ten – Christmas Preparations

Severus Snape was woken up from his sleep by a bloodcurdling scream coming from across the hall from him, and he was immediately racing across to comfort his charge. She was awake, but startled, and sobbing uncontrollably. She went to him to sob into his pajama shirt, again burying her head to be able to hear his heartbeat. He'd learned it was a calming method that worked without a potion, so he put up with the contact at first, but now her fears along with his were soothed as well when it came to her sanity. He'd learned by now to hold her close to his chest, and just let her get it out of her system all while soothing her and letting her know it was just a nightmare.

A tiny owl tapped at the window, and Severus pulled away to let it in, and opened a note, obviously from Hogwarts. He paled, shaking his head, and quickly penned a reply for the bird to take back. Sarah was cringing, shivering, but he instead brought her downstairs for a cup of hot chocolate. Once they were safely sipping away, Severus set his mug down to tell her the reason for the owl. Sarah paled at the idea, but nodded an affirmative, and he raised an eyebrow. He could tell she was scared, and curiously asked why.

"I – I'm scared because I don't know how the other teachers will react to having someone who is eighteen, having been learning from a professional tutor since only mid-May, and – and who wasn't sorted yet coming into the castle," Sarah said sadly, and Severus smiled. "And – and I keep having nightmares that I'm some sort of long-lost descendant of Slytherin or one of the other founders and everyone will hate me!"

"Sarah, I haven't told you this, but aside from Transfiguration, you're working on all fifth year spells and Potions," he smiled, "As long as you study, you'll be able to ace the OWL's, and if you're terrified too much, I can tutor you again on the weekends. Horace is still teaching Potions, but the Defense Professor… committed suicide. The note he left said that he'd been planning it for a while, and after not finding his child at Hogwarts, he was distraught enough to kill himself. Thus, he hung himself from the rafters of his office at around midnight a few nights ago."

"I- I'm scared," Sarah whimpered. "I don't know what classes to take for my electives!"

"Muggle studies will need to be a definite for you since you'll excel there," Severus encouraged gently putting his hand on her arm to keep her from biting her nails. "Then there's care of Magical creatures since you're good with animals. You're good with math, but you hate it, so I wouldn't recommend Arithmancy. I'll talk to Minerva about it later to see if you can get a little help from Hagrid to help catch you up enough to go on and help you learn enough of what you missed in your third year about caring for them. If I need to, I'll approach the half-giant myself, although I daresay it's a horrid idea that I abhor entirely, but I have sworn to help you as best I can with your education, and I shall do so until you wish me to otherwise."

"Thank you," Sarah said softly. "You're a harsh teacher, I'll admit, but it's all worth it with how much I'm progressing now. I can see why you've been constantly pushing me to be better. You're right – maybe I am a prodigy after all."

"Maybe?" Severus scoffed. "Sarah, you _are _a prodigy! We have four days until Christmas, and name me one other student who can go from knowing nothing about being a witch or wizard in mid-May to being able to cast fifth year spells – except Transfiguration, where you're at a third year level – by Christmas time. You do that, and I promise you I'll do anything you want for twenty-four hours."

"Do I count?" Sarah asked hopefully, even though she knew the answer was a no. She suddenly realized what he'd said. "There's four days until Christmas? Oh, no! I got so caught up in my studies that I didn't have time to go shopping!"

"You don't have to get me anything," Severus said darkly, although secretly wishing she'd surprise him with something insane. "I mean it."

"No, I insist!" Sarah said brightly. "I mean it! You've been doing so much for me, I'd feel like a fool and I'd be taking advantage of you if I didn't!"

"Fine," Severus grumbled, thinking of who would be the best option to take her shopping. Minerva could, but she's the headmistress. Still, as long as they stayed in Hogsmeade… "Alright, I shall talk with Minerva to see if she will take you to Hogsmeade."

The next day, Minerva McGonagall arrived in the fireplace, wearing navy green robes. Sarah squealed excitedly, grabbing her money, and jumped over to the older, very much composed, witch. They headed out, and Sarah began looking around at Hogsmeade. Pubs, candy shops (Did Severus like Candy?), and many other shops lined the streets. Students were milling about with their parents, and Sarah had a hard time looking around.

"I wonder if she'll be the new Defense Teacher," Sarah heard some of the fifth years say. She squirmed, unsure of how to be able to tell them that she'd be joining them in a few weeks' time.

"No way, dude," another said. "She's too young and hot. It's too much of a likelyhood that she'll get raped before the end of the year."

"Minerva," Sarah whispered, and the old woman sent a glare at her students who were gossiping, and they immediately shut their mouths with terrified stares. "Thank you."

"Anytime, dear," the animagus smiled softly. "Why not get him some dark chocolate sugar quills? He enjoys those. He detests lemon drops, and we'll just leave the lollipops behind, he won't touch those since they take too long to eat and you know how he is."

"I was thinking maybe a journal? I noticed he writes a bit, and his handwriting is really good," Sarah said tentatively. "And besides that, his handwriting is really beautiful. I wish someone would tell him that."

"They don't know him as well as you do to feel that comfortable around him," Minerva soothed gently eyeing the younger witch. "Now, Severus tells me you can transform a rat into a goblet?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sarah smiled. "You were right, it's much easier when I picture what I want with my mind and watch it transforming into that item. It's hard sometimes, like with animals, but it's working extremely well! Thank you so much for the advice! He says I'm almost ready to begin fourth year spells for you."

"Really? Impressive," Minerva commended, startled at the amount of growth that the teen had made since that spring. "He also says you're working on fifth year Charms and Defense?"

"yes, ma'am," Sarah grinned. "He even let me copy his potions notes so I can do better in potions than we thought I would."

"Well, congratulations," the older witch said shocked. "That's the first time I've ever known him to let someone borrow his notes like that. He's extremely secretive like that, but I suppose that he would oblige a prodigy a little help. How many books did he let you do this with?"

"All of them," Sarah said happily, and just then her stomach growled in protest of being empty and in a shop filled with sweets. "Oops. I got so excited I forgot to eat."

She quickly purchased some dark chocolate sugar quills, and a fair amount of Dark chocolate versions of the Chocolate frogs. To her surprise, there were new witches and wizards in the cards, but she didn't dare open it to see just how new these witches and wizards were. Her stomach growled loudly in protest yet again, and they quickly made their way to one of the bars, the Hogs Head. Sarah's eyes widened in awe at Aberforth, Headmaster Dumbledore's brother, and her eyes went to the painting of Ariana, which was no doubt still connected to the castle.

"Yes, it's still connected," the small girl grinned. "You must be the infamous student that all the Hogwarts students are gossiping about being the sole student of the – quote – greasy dungeon bat."

"Ariana, that's rude," the old man frowned. "Are you?"

Sarah made do with this was her first time in Hogsmeade, and that her mentor was a very difficult person to shop for. Aberforth got the hints very quickly, and smiled at the young girl that was special enough for Snape himself to teach personally and let live in his house for six months, almost seven now that it was almost Christmas. Sarah gasped, realizing she hadn't gotten Severus a birthday gift yet, and Minerva simply chuckled and told her to relax. She suggested Muggle clothing to Sarah, who blanched and almost choked on her first ever sip of butterbeer. Both Aberforth and Minerva laughed, and Sarah frowned at the pair. Muggle clothing on Snape was going to be impossible to do, but then again, he'd been complimenting her as well over the months, and Sarah began wondering vaguely if it was possible for the Potions Master to be able to have moved on from Lily enough to love again. More so now than ever since Harry was married to Ginny and Ron to Hermione.

Sarah was soon wondering what her own family were doing right now. She, meanwhile, looked at the animagus beside her who was looking at her with twinkling eyes. Sarah immediately knew something was up, so she began asking about what it was like at Hogwarts and what the Defense classroom, and who the teachers were, what they were like, and where all the common rooms were.

"Now, now," Aberforth scolded. "We can't have you in someone else's dormitories, little one. I would venture to say you're a mischievous little prankster, probably a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. Which is it?"

"I don't know," Sarah admitted quietly. "I was never sorted back at my old school." This was true, but for the sake of any possible reporter nearby, she had to give a false answer. "They were all preaching 'school unity', but there were too many differences, and people broke off into random groups according to stereotypes anyways. I was one of those rare kids who fit into a couple of categories, so I moved between the two a lot."

"Ah. Well, no worries, you'll learn quickly what everything's like," Minerva said. "You'll be staying with us until dinner of Christmas eve. Is this alright with you?"

"I – of course! I can't wait!" Sarah squealed, hugging the older witch. "Thank you so much!"

"Where's your wand?" Aberforth asked suddenly, and with a flick of Sarah's wrist, it was in her hand.

"Sensei's idea," she grinned. She wheeled around to find Draco Malfoy, steaming angry, and pointing his wand at her. "Ah. Let's see, blonde hair, somewhat intimidating behavior. You must be a Malfoy, then. I believe you are Draco, yes?"

"Yes," he said with cold eyes. "Where is he? I need to speak with Uncle Severus."

"Who?" Sarah asked furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, knowing it was best to play dumb on this account. "Severus? Minerva, do you know who he's talking about?"

"Mr. Malfoy, I would appreciate you not attacking my prospective future Muggle Studies teacher," the animagus said sternly. "Unless you'd like to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"No thank you," he said curtly, turning back to the younger witch. "You are?"

"Sarah," she said. "I'm from the U.S. I just got into town for the first time ever. I never knew that you guys actually had entire communities of magical beings that were this big! We mostly have a shop here and there, camping out in abandoned buildings that nobody ever goes in, which are few and far between."

"I see," Draco said eyeing her. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

"Um, no, I don't believe so," Sarah said warily. Her little yellow warning flag was going off to get away from him before something horrible happened, but she immediately relaxed at the reassuring thought that the headmistress was by her side to help her should she need it. "Why?"

"You – wait a minute, you're that one that was missing a few months ago! I should turn you in!" Draco sneered.

"Actually, Draco," Minerva cut in, "She went home after running away, left a proper note this time, and came straight here to meet me."

"Ah. I see," he said frowning, his eyes showing pure hatred. "Very well. I'll be off, then."

As soon as he was out the door, Sarah visibly tensed up, but then sat down. "That was scary," she breathed, "I thought for sure he was going to duel me or something."

"No," Minerva soothed. "But for your first time, you did extremely well. You weren't tense until after the threat was over, you were able to move around, get a quick enough feel of your surroundings to note that you were about to be ambushed, and react in a timely manner. Your mentor will be proud to hear of this feat."

"I don't think I should tell him," Sarah admitted quietly. "He might get mad at me for being reckless. He also keeps commenting that he's having a hard time deciding whether my temper will put me in Gryffindor or my sneakiness will get me into Slytherin. I understand you must be sorted before you begin to teach?"

"Yes, that way some of the students may at least get to know you a little better," she said, immediately aware of the child's need for covering up her tracks. "You'll be a fine addition to either house, I'm sure."

"Thank you," Sarah said flushing with embarrassment as she went back to drinking her butterbeer. "I can't wait to see the castle. I'm so excited, I don't know where to explore first! Oh, probably the dungeons since that's where I'll be studying potions, and I'm told it can be very confusing once you're down there and all the hallways look alike."

OoOoOoOoO

Severus smiled as he left the plane that brought him home from America yet again. He knew Sarah was no doubt exploring Hogwarts by now, but he felt the need to get her presents from home for her, and he'd been right. The family had, indeed, brought a mound of presents for her, and he quickly noticed that they were all hidden in a back room so as not to disturb the younger cousins. He smiled, recalling the heartbreak on some of the younger children's faces as they looked around to find her missing from their midst still.

(Flashback, sev PoV)

I glanced at a duo of ten year olds sitting by a twelve year old, all boys. She'd bragged about how these three were the cousins she got along with best, and they were bawling their eyes out at her absence and the lack of attention drawn to Sarah's presents was also disturbing. Granted, there was a large pile – which I'd already confiscated, shrunken, and packed in an enlarged tiny bag at my waist – but this was ridiculous. Most of the female cousins were gossiping about whether or not she was really dead, one auburn haired brat even having the audacity to say it was all for show and for the attention!

"Hardly," I hissed under my breath, the noise in the room drowning me out extremely well. I'd again cast a disillusionment charm so nobody could see me and was able to spy with a great deal of fun. "You brought this upon yourselves."

"Mom, is she – is she going to be okay? What if she's dead?" one of the older girls asked, a set of twin girls I noticed.

"That would be a relief, she was always a bitch and never wanted to hang out with any of us and just went to hide out in her room," one large fifteen year old said, and I had to focus to keep my anger in as well as my magic. I focused my magic onto the weather, making it snow harder. If that was how they were going to be, then the angrier they made me, the more snow they got and the longer they were trapped here.

"Bobbie, shut up," the darker of the twins retorted. "Stop being such a bitch! Just because Sarah isn't as social as you doesn't mean she's anti-social! She's got friends and a lot more than you do!"

"Yeah, Bobbie, she had more than eighteen people waiting for her at the library when we went up for YSA Conference," the other twin added in. "And that's just the ones that could make it, she said there were half a dozen that wanted to but couldn't because of lack of travel methods! You're just jealous because she got to get out of the house more often than you did!"

'Nice one,' I thought. 'These twins must take Sarah's side in almost everything, even if they argue like hell with each other.'

"Chrissy and Cassy are right," Joe agreed. "But in a way we're all at fault. If we'd been nicer to her, she wouldn't have gone this far to get away. I mean, we all could have been more understanding of her hobbies, even if they were insane somewhat. And we all could have been more supportive with her love of languages. At least dad was trying with Mandarin and me with German on that one. Mom, maybe you shouldn't have been so mean to her right after she got back. I know you were worried and overprotective, but I think that just made things worse."

'Understatement of the year, kid, but I won't deny you've got the brain and insight of a Ravenclaw and a wonderful spy in the works,' I commended. 'Still, she'd have come back anyways… wouldn't she?'

"Now, all we can do is hope that Heavenly Father brings her back to us one day alive," he said sadly, "If not, then maybe she can find happiness beyond the veil."

'How do they know about the department of Mysteries? Or this is some Muggle thing where they refer to death as "the veil" or something,' I speculated confused somewhat.

"To Sarah," one of the three adult females said, reminding me almost of the Pillbury dough boy in a disturbing way, "And may we hope that wherever she is, she's alive, happy, and surrounded by books and anime!"

"To Sarah," the others all chorused, and held up their cups.

I scoffed and waited for everyone to leave when I notice that the three small boys had headed out into the snowstorm, a small five year old holding the door open just wide enough for me to step over her lean frame to get out. I went to the edge of the area that was covered, willing the snow to fall thicker so that the trio had to go inside. Within minutes they did, and I headed out the tiny house that I knew would house a bathroom since there was an underground pool for swimming in. I was right, and I used said bathroom to apparate back to the airport, just in time to vanish the shrunken packages into my trunk that had already gone through the scanner.

"Clear," the cop grumbled. "Why in hell anyone would be out in this weather, I have no idea."

I again began using my magic to affect the weather, this time to ease the snow away and to take it and give it just enough time to get me on my plane and for us to be in the air and above the clouds. I smirked, happily thinking of what Sarah would say at my surprise for her on Christmas for her. Most likely, however, half of the presents were for her birthday.

(Flashback end, 3rd PoV)

Severus headed out to the baggage claim, picked up his trunk, and went straight to the apparition point so he could apparate himself and Sarah's things to the gates of Hogwarts. He had a mind to surprise Sarah, but he wasn't sure where she wanted to be for Christmas, so he sent her an owl with the letter to question her.


	11. Last Minute Panics

Chapter Eleven – Last Minute Panics

(Severus PoV)

I had set up the tree at Spinner's End after getting Sarah's letter back, and had even placed all her presents under the tree, carefully cataloguing where everything and anything was from who. I, being a bit OCD sometimes, had organized it by size and by family that had given it to her out of her mother's generation, my generation.

I sighed in content, pleased with my weekend's work. I'd known exactly what to get her somehow, but for some odd reason, I couldn't bring myself to get it for her. I was nervous, yes, worried over a crazy teenage girl. Yes, she'd put up with me for six months, but Lily had told me on Halloween to give the girl a chance, and now that I'd given it I'd found a prodigy that hadn't been seen since me, not even in Hermione bloody-know-it-all Granger.

I finally decided to go ahead and get it anyways; I may as bloody well get it over with. I'd probably be able to put up with her religion – my mother had dragged me to a Mormon meeting, had me baptized, but we soon stopped going because of my father – and I'd explained to the bishop of the new ward who I was and why I was here. He was shocked and utterly disgusted at my idea, and had put his foot down and said no. Thus I was forced to go back to a Wizard marriage, which Sarah knew nothing about at this point, and I still kept the tiny box with me.

I still had no idea how I was going to do this, and was clueless at being a hopeless romantic and sappy, but I would at least try to amuse her. Well, as long as nobody else was around. I then realized it – music! Music was the way to get through to her, but what would I play?

Of course! The Nightmare Before Christmas had a romantic song at the end, and it was short, to the point, snow covered, and the two embraced in the end! all I had to do was bring the ring out at the right time! I sat down to write a letter to Minerva, to let her know that Sarah and I would be beginning our Christmas there at Hogwarts, but to her surprise as a treat from me.

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

It was now Christmas Eve, and I had no idea where Professor Snape was. I'd gotten all his gift ready, but I had no idea what else to give him. As desperately as I wanted to propose to him, I didn't have the nerve or the guts. Well, so much for my Gryffindor Courage. Looks like I'm going into Hufflepuff.

"Sarah," Minerva said gently, and I looked over. I'd taken the seat of the teacher to be filling in for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Namely, the man I had a major crush on and was possibly in love with permanently. "Would you like to spend tonight here?"

"Professor Snape is supposed to come get me, but if he doesn't before curfew then I'd love to!" I beamed. I headed over to the end of the table to eat so as to leave his place empty for him to sit at to eat, and began picking out different foods. I was the only one in Muggle attire – joy of joys, not my fault I didn't have school robes yet.

I sighed, and began humming a tune as I began picking at and moving the food around on my plate. I suddenly felt alone, isolated, unwanted. It was weird, I knew I was wanted since they wouldn't have offered, but I just didn't feel like I was wanted at the moment.

_I sense there's something in the wind,_

_That feels like tragedy's at hand._

_And though I'd like to stand by him,_

_Can't shake this feeling that I have._

_The worst is just around the bend,_

_And does he notice My feelings for him?_

_And will he see how much he means to me?_

_I think it's not to be…_

_What will become of my dear friend?_

_Where will his actions leave us then?_

_Although I'd like to join the crowd,_

_In their enthusiastic cloud._

_Try as I may, it doesn't last._

_And will we ever _

_End up together?_

_No, I think not._

_It's never to be come._

_For I am not the one._

"You okay, Professor?" one of the first years asked, and I looked off to my left to find a tiny blonde Slytherin girl looking at me awed. "I can tell the song is supposed to be sad. Do you really feel that way about someone?"

"Yes," I admitted, "My mentor. I've been learning under him for six months now, and I'm terrified of losing him, but – I can't – I just can't find the nerve to ask him to a date. I'm such a coward, I hate this – this feeling of helplessness! I just wish there were something I could do."

"Professor Slughorn might be able to help," she said helpfully. "He's old and fat, but he might know how to brew a love potion. You should talk to him, but… can you not mention I called him fat? He'd have my hide again…"

"Of course, it's our little secret," I said smiling. This tiny girl, this helpless single Slytherin in this vacation was just what I needed to snap out of it. I looked around, spotting Horace Slughorn leaving the Great Hall. "I'll take you up on that offer, kid. Meet me in the library later, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," she said happily, and I raced off after the temporary head of Slytherin House.

"Professor Slughorn!" I called out, and he turned to me in confusion. "Thank goodness, I need your help. I'm afraid I'm not good at potions, and I was wondering if you could help me with a Christmas present or two for a friend of mine. It requires Potions that I'm not good with, I'm afraid."

"Ah, I see, but of course, young lady," he smiled. "Now, what's bothering you?"

"Well, I need a potion that will show me his moods to put inside a protection amulet," I smiled sheepishly, "Yes, I'm that bad at Potions. Never brewed one in my entire life. Professor Snape would kill me if he figured out about this, probably. Please, can this be a secret between the two of us and the Headmistress?"

"Of course," he smiled gently. "A mood potion will be more than easily completed. Let me guess, you'll have a vial handy so that you can see his emotions?"

"Yes, sir, that's the plan, but that one's for his birthday. No, I was also thinking of – Amortentia, I believe it's called," I said warily, and his eyes widened. "For scholarship purposed only, I promise, I won't _dare _take a sip, I promise, and I would _never _make anyone drink it! Cross my heart hope to die stick a Kunai in both eyes if I'm lying! Which, I'm not, but… um…"

"I thought you'd be here," Minerva said with a twinkle in her eyes as she walked in. "Amortentia? Is this to find out if you're honestly in love with someone?" I nodded sheepishly. "I see. And you'll be giving it to him just to test and see if he's really in love with you, as well, then." *Another sheepish nod.* "Horace, I'd appreciate it if you helped her. You have nothing to fear from her, I can assure you. She didn't hex Draco Malfoy when he threatened her earlier this week, and was extremely polite towards him even though he was being increasingly rude towards her."

"I – oh, very well," the old man caved. "Yes, well, do you know how to prepare the ingredients? NO? Where the blazes did you go to school, girl?"

"She hasn't, Horace," the headmistress huffed. "Your star pupil has been teaching her Charms, Defense, and Transfiguration personally. They had a little help on this last one from me. But otherwise, she is in her fifth year in the other two classes after studying from square on in mid-May. She hasn't learned Potions because that is her mentor's specialty, and he will catch her up to par later with his own personal textbooks and notes. Sadly, she doesn't have her book on her right now, and has no idea how to prepare or brew."

"I," he sputtered, and gaped. "Oh, oh, you mean my star Slytherin pupil? Of course, of course! I see what you're at now, you little minx! Of course, of course I'll help you, little one! What was your name again?"

"Sarah," I said sheepishly. "Sarah Denning."

"Not the one who disappeared?" he yelped, and I nodded with a smile.

"I ran away from home since my parents didn't like me being a witch," I explained, "It was either that or I would get the tar beaten out of me."

"I see," he said with a look of sympathy. "All right, come over here and I'll show you what to do, Miss Denning."

OoOo(Severus PoV)oOoO

"And you're sure that this will work, Minerva?" I asked uncertainty tainting my voice.

"Yes, Severus," she snapped impatiently. "She's currently busy working on the final touches for your present, both Christmas and birthday. Now, just be sure to get it right, and whatever you do, you insufferable Slytherin, _don't scare her_!"

"Keep calm," I repeated. "Get the words right in the song. Don't scare her while pulling out the ring at the right time. Okay. I can do this. I can't do this. I need Felix Felexis to do this!"

"No, Severus," Minerva snapped. "You aren't cheating like that! don't make me come over there and put mistletoe up in your house all over so you'll be snogging whenever you leave or enter a room!"

"You wouldn't," I glared. She would, but hopefully she was bluffing. Judging by the look on her face, she wasn't. "Okay, okay. No liquid luck, then. I daresay I'll need it, though if I screw it up. _Then _can I use some, blast it?"

"Yes," she agreed at long last. "I suppose to help you make amends since you're horrible at doing things like that. I'll fire-call you again when she's ready, Severus."

"What if she refuses? What if she tries to hex me? What if she tries to kick my areas?" Severus ranted nervously pacing.

"Severus Tobias Snape, stop that incessant schoolboy behavior right now!" the animagus scolded, and he froze, tempted to take a seat then and there. "Better, I suppose. Now stop worrying, boy, you'll be fine. She's just as frazzled about tomorrow as you are, probably more so since it's her first Christmas away from home. Might I recommend inviting someone over for lunch or dinner, Severus, to cool her nerves afterwards? Or not," she added when she saw my glare of knowing who she'd had in mind.


	12. Christmas Morning

Chapter Twelve – Christmas Morning

A/N: if it's italics and it says that Snape is singing, then he's singing alongside Sarah. If he's singing and there's bold and italics phrases mixed up, then his is the bold and hers is the italics. During those songs, they'll be singing in unison during both bold and italics, kay?

Severus was eagerly awaiting Minerva's fire-call when at long last, right at nine, she fire-called him and stuck her face into the fire.

"She's ready. Terrified, but ready," she announced.

"Excellent! Here, or there?" he asked the animagus, who scowled. "What? She may have changed her mind."

"There, Severus," she said. "I don't want anyone intruding, so close off the Floo network, and we've shrunken the gifts that she has in her pockets. Don't even think about it, they're already wrapped."

As soon as she was available, she used the fireplace to go to his living room, and almost gasped in shock at the sight of his workings. He smirked at her being blindfolded, flicking his wand to empty her pockets and return the packages to their original size. He placed the Floo Powder in front of her, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I'd like to spend tonight at the castle, if that's alright with you," he said, and she nodded as she took a handful of powder and threw them down, calling out Snape's office. The Potions master sealed off the Floo Network then and there, using the personal one in his room, warding it so that only he could get in and out. He then stepped in and went ahead to his office at Hogwarts, just as he remembered it from when he was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Sarah asked, and he chuckled at her.

"Not quite. There was one more thing that I've been meaning to give you after missing your birthday, but… I haven't been able to quite yet," he explained.

"Oh. Um, since we're talking about birthdays…" she began.

"No," he cut her off harshly, but lowered and gentled his tone. "No, I don't want to lose my train of thought. Oh, fine. What were you thinking, you daft woman?"

"Well, um," she admitted sheepishly pulling out a vial. "I smelled this potion, but I read that it smelled different to everyone. I was wondering what it smelled like to you."

"Hm," he smirked. "I can't tell you the name if you're hands are covering it."

"I know. I know what potion it is already, but I just want to know what you smell from it. I already got an answer from Headmistress McGonagall," she admitted sheepishly. "It wasn't an easy task. It's not a poison, I promise."

Severus sighed in either defeat or disgust, she couldn't tell which.

OoOo(Severus PoV)oOoO

"Fine," I said sighing in exhaustion, but stopping momentarily. I wafted my hand over the bottle, sending the fumes my way. 'Damn!' I silently cursed. "Amortentia."

"Yes, sir. Please, Professor?" she begged, and I knew I had already promised and I was a man of my word, after all.

"Fine. Potions ingredients, dark chocolate," I rattled, and something unfamiliar hit my nostrils. I frowned, furrowing my brow. "And… what is that last one? I can't tell…"

"Oh," she said dejectedly, but I then realized why I couldn't pinpoint it. I held onto her shoulder, sniffing her gently.

Oh, sweet merlin, the third scent was her.

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

"Oh," I said, upset that he couldn't find the final one. I knew who it was, after all – Lily bloody Potter, a dead woman. He was still pining after a corpse after all this time.

He grabbed me by the shoulder, and I froze as he began sniffing some more, as if to determine the scent's origins somehow by continuing to sniff at it. I was almost ready to cry, and I could feel him stiffen next to me.

"Sarah," he murmured. "I've got an idea, but I won't be sure until tomorrow. Can you wait until then? I'll tell you then, I promise. Wizard's honor."

I wanted to tell him no, but all I could manage was a nod. I went to bed, sobbing my heart out that night, knowing I wasn't the one for him even though he was the one that I needed now. He was like my own version of heroine or crack-cocaine. I don't remember falling asleep, but I woke up to the sound of rushing feet above me. I frowned – oh yeah, I was still in Hogwarts. Snape was still pining after Lily Potter.

'No he's not,' the tiny voice whispered in my head again. Who was that voice, and why did it feel like I was being guided by it? it had helped me on Halloween but who – or what – was it?

'Yes, he is,' I argued back silently, the sobs racking my body.

'No, he's not!' the voice repeated stronger and firmer. 'Trust me, I'd know. He's not pining after a Potter anymore, he just doesn't know how to express himself well. He never has, and he never will. Give him time, little one.'

"Sure he's not," I grumbled, heading down to the lobby of Snape's private quarters. I gaped at the gifts that the staff had all gotten him, and noted that they were already in two piles on opposite sides of the tree. "Hey."

"Sarah," he began slowly. "I – the third smell… I – I've got an idea, but I'm still not entirely sure. There's just one little problem with this and – oh, confound it, I'm horrible at these types of things! Just – just take a seat."

For some odd reason I felt turned on, but I pushed it aside to remind myself that he was still a teacher, and I a student. After a few minutes, he stood up from across the room, clearing his throat as I picked at the petals on a sunflower I'd found in my room that morning. From Dobby, ironically enough, even though I'd only seen him once, the sweet little elf. He started singing, and slowly crossing the room in small (for him) steps.

**My dearest friend, if you don't mind?**

**I'd like to join you by your side,**

**Where we can gaze into the stars, **

_**And sit together, Now and forever.**_

_**For it is plain as anyone can see**_

**_We're simply_ meant to be.**

I cut off mid-word in the final stanza, my eyes upon a small black box that Severus was pulling out of his pocket as he reached me. I stared in shock at it, not wanting to believe it.

(3rd PoV)

"You – I'm your third smell? You – you want to me to marry you?" Sarah asked shocked, touched, and all-in-all overwhelmed. Severus nodded, trying to make eye contact, and failing miserably. "Yes. Yes, yes you daft genius! Yes!"

"You – you'll really look past all my issues?" he asked, and she nodded as he hesitantly pulled the ring out of the box to reveal that it was on a necklace. "May I?"

"As you wish," she murmured, holding her hair up. She'd wanted to say 'I love you', but it was the same thing to some people.

"Princess Bride," he smiled. "Wesley says it to say 'I love you' to Buttercup. And now, Sarah, As you wish."

"Wait – what?" she whispered, and he smiled as he pulled her closer to him. "You're…letting me control the – the intimate part of this? I mean, I know I'm the girl and all, but this – I'm terrified. I don't think – I mean, I've never even been kissed, let alone touched inappropriately by anyone! And – oh my Snakes, this is – wow… how – Impossible…"

He watched as her own little self-induced panic attack unfolded and she collapsed onto his lap, her head landing on his shoulder. Out of nowhere, Madame Pomfrey appeared in the fireplace. Severus scowled as she intruded, glaring at her for ruining the moment.

"What?" she whispered. "Severus, what on earth did you do to her now?"

"Proposed," he shot back in a deadly whisper. "And you will tell nobody. I'll tell who I'll tell, no sooner, no later. Got it?"

"Sure," she smiled. "It's about time, you know."

"Shut up and get out," he snapped quietly so as not to wake his charge – no, fiancée – who slept peacefully. He watched amused as the young woman slept, a soft smile on his face. He didn't know it, but Madame Pomfrey had already gone to the Headmistress.

"Minerva," she objected stubbornly.

"No, Poppy," the animagus spat angrily, "No, no, and infinitely no! Leave them alone, I've been trying to get those two together since I first saw her at his house the day he took her home for the first time before you healed her. Do. _Not._ Ruin. This. For. Them."

"Fine," the mediwitch huffed. "Fine. But don't blame me if she gets pregnant before the end of the year!"

"Don't worry, Poppy," the headmistress soothed. "Severus is an adult, and so is she. They can handle themselves, I'm sure."

OoOoOoOoO

"Hm," Sarah murmured as she finally woke up, something hard and unnaturally warm underneath her, almost moving.

"Good morning," the Potions master whispered as he weaseled his arm around her abdomen. "I daresay I've been looking forward to this for a while. I just didn't have the heart or nerve to risk my job over this."

"You love me. Oh my snakes, I'm engaged," Sarah recalled suddenly. "I'm engaged to the dungeon bat. How much better can life get?"

"Better?" Severus asked, then recalled a conversation. "Your family was spied on a few nights ago. They miss you, apparently, and are all desperately crying without you. Well, most of them, I believe. There's bound to be some heartless bitch or bastard who hates you, you get that in every family. Sometimes their hatred just spreads too quickly to the other members, and then the other members realize what they've done wrong after something drastic – like faking a death or a near-death experience – happens to the hated party. Now, my love, I believe there are gifts to be opened from the rest of the staff…"

"Go ahead, I'm not opening your present," Sarah said sadly shaking her head, startled when he handed her a box. "I'm not opening your presents!"

"Read it, you silly girl," Severus teased, and she almost dropped it in shock. "Yes, they got you presents as well. Shall we?"

A few hours later, Sarah was looking around at the wrappings, which Severus then neatly cleaned up with a lazy flick of his wand. Numerous books and advice from the teaching staff, especially in the subjects that she was going to be taking, and Hagrid had even given her some fudge to help remind her of home and to let her know she was welcome at Hogwarts. Sarah had smiled and stuck it next to the fire to melt it, which Severus thought was a wise idea. From the teachers who wouldn't be having her in class, like Professor Sinistra in Astronomy, she received different candied goods. Severus had scowled at that until she got a vomit flavored bean on her first try of Berty Bott's Every Flavor Bean.

She stared at what the other teachers got him, most of which were potions ingredients and magazines, and she sighed in exasperation. Her gift for him was nothing, _nothing _compared to the engagement he'd given her for Christmas.

"That wasn't your present from me, you know," he said softly as he came up to her a second time. "This one was." She stared at the larger box, and realized what was in it from numerous fanfics about him: a protection amulet of some sort. She opened it to reveal the very gift that she was giving him for his birthday. "What's wrong?"

"I was going to give you one for your birthday," she murmured, and he smiled gently, bringing her to face him.

"Thank you. I'll wear it with pride when I get it, I promise. Shh, don't cry," he murmured to her as the tears began flowing down her cheeks. "It's the thought that counts, pet. Shh, Sarah."

The tears kept flowing, and he gently put his face in front of hers to comfort her, as if he were about to kiss her. He yanked away, blocked the Floo Network to his quarters, and raced back to her side. She started outright sobbing, and he picked her up, putting her in his lap and rocking her from side to side gently cradling her in his arms. Recalling something, he knew she wouldn't be able to handle it yet, but he had to try at least to prove he was serious, right?

He was hesitant, and unsteady, having never done this before. After a few seconds he recomposed himself, bringing his mouth to hers, gently pushing his lips to her cheek just shy of her mouth, whispering soothing words to her. He'd seen many times when Lucius had done so with Narcissa while she had been pregnant with Draco. Surely a teenage girl losing her family's normal tradition for the first time created the same kind of situation to a degree almost, right? After a few minutes, and after her sobbing had faded into whimpering, he moved slowly but steadily. He could almost feel the fear radiating off of her, and he hesitantly stole her first kiss from her lips.

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

I was so upset about this Christmas. First my parents were gone, then I was in a castle I'd only been in for a few days, in a completely non-home-like quarters of Severus Snape (no complaints about him, though), and add in the shock that he'd proposed to me, and wanted _me _of all people, who was probably about thirty years his junior. Well, let's just say that adding all these little factors together caused a dam inside me to finally break, and I had meant to keep them in, I swore I would, but the waterworks came anyways.

It was a shock that he was touching me, really, and most especially my face with his long slender fingers that he was so used to using to expertly make countless potions in his lifetime. I wanted it to stay like that, but he left to block the Floo and return. He began moving towards me as if to kiss me. I wanted to mouth rape him, but I'd get killed if I did. No, it was better to let him control this one, so long as it didn't get _too _terribly intimate. Right? Yup, you bet.

What shocked me more was that he was soon whispering things to me in an attempt to soothe me, and the poor man thought it was something he'd said or done wrong. No, he was the perfect one for me, he was my anchor now, he meant the world to me, and I'd do _anything_ to make him happy. I let my sobbing fade into whimpering, trying to get myself under control for him without the use of his heartbeat.

All my control failed me when his lips connected with mine.


	13. Christmas Afternoon

Chapter Thirteen – Christmas Afternoon

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

As I said before, all my control slipped when he kissed me. Why? Because it was my first kiss and for one, I wasn't in charge of it, two, I was being over-hormonal I'm sure, and three, I was feeling like the queen of the world and wanted to stay as close to him as possible forever until I died. Of what, I don't know.

So, when he kissed me, it lasted for a bit, and, since I apparently forgot how to breathe, I had to break it and literally fall on top of him. My head was resting on his neck, right at the scar tissue that Nagini had attacked him at. I began caressing it, still a little dizzy, and not wanting to move just yet. I'd heard him hit the floor on the way down, but right now I was too focused on catching my breath to do much more than pet what scar he hated most. Me? I loved it. It proved how loyal and brave he was, not just to Lily and Harry, but to the entire side of the light.

So, it was only a matter of time before I heard him hissing underneath me uncomfortably, I sat up, and realized what he was hissing at all of a sudden. I was getting him hard on school grounds. Big no-no.

I rolled off, trying to give him a chance to recover, when he again assaulted me and my lips. This time, however, he paused a moment to hiss out the words "breathe this time" before taking my lips in his. I struggled, but after a bit I figured out how to breathe through the nose while you kiss. Let me tell you, this wasn't an easy feat, and not because of _his _nose either. No, this was my own stupidity and irrational train of not-thinking going on in my pea-brain. No, I was most definitely _not _Ravenclaw material. I smiled, but pulled back when he reached for my thighs.

"No," I hissed, and he knelt confused. "We can't. Not until after marriage. Trust me, Severus, it's one of the big three you don't break."

"Oh," he said somberly, then stalked off. "If you'll excuse me for a moment. Could you perhaps go visit Minerva?"

"Sure," I grinned stupidly. Sure, I was a mess, but who cared? I was happy as a clam, I felt as high as a kite. I couldn't unblock the Floo, so I scampered up as quickly as I could. I squealed out her name in excitement, and she immediately met me at the gargoyle that guarded her office.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes flaring dangerously.

"Not here," I grinned. "Your office or room, please? Girl thing."

"Of course," she nodded, and I followed her up the staircase. "Tea? Lemon Drop?"

"can't because of religion as far as I know, and no thanks," I gasped. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I'm telling anyways. He proposed. Severus proposed."

"That's wonderful!" Minerva's eyes lightened immediately with joy as though I were her daughter getting married. "Have you picked a date?"

"No, but I want no female Weasley to take part in this," I said quickly. "I don't want all hell to break loose, no offense to the Gryffindors. But, I think I messed up somehow…"

"Uh-oh," she said dangerously. "What happened?"

"Well, his Christmas present to me was actually the same thing I'd gotten him for his birthday," I began slowly, "And for some odd reason this made a dam inside me break. I'm fairly sure he's horrible at dealing with waterworks in his opinion, but he handled that extremely well. Well, till…"

"Until?"

"We kissed," I said a bit embarrassed. "And I forgot how to breathe. So when we broke it off, I collapsed on top of him in a dizzy heap."

"I fail to see how you messed up, Miss Denning," she said confused a little.

"Pardon me," a familiar portrait of Albus Dumbledore. "But is this the same Severus who was acting as the spy for me?" I nodded. "Ah, well, then I believe I know what is ailing our poor Potions Master. He is likely to be – how shall we say it? – ah, twitter pated."

"Ah, about that," I said sheepishly. "I, uh, kinda stopped it before it could go further than that. did I – did I mess up in that?"

"No," Dumbledore and McGonagall soothed at the same time. "You were right."

"Oh. No intimate activites on school grounds then?" I asked, and they nodded. "Okay. I don't think he'll want a long engagement. I put my foot down and told him that aside from kissing, I'm off limits until we're on our honeymoon."

"And that is a wonderful decision," they added with wide smiles and twinkling eyes. Great Slytherin, how the bloody hell did they do that? "Most suiting of a young lady such as yourself."

"Thank you," I grinned sheepishly. "He said he had another surprise for me at Spinner's End, but now that he proposed, and with the Protection necklace combined with a mood watching potion, I don't know how much more he can give. I already feel like my gift to him was nothing…"

"Hey, you tried," they reminded me. "You had his best interests at heart and you worked with what you had. He'll love it, I'm sure."

"Sarah?" Severus asked as he knocked at the door. "Minerva?"

"Come in," she grinned, and Severus walked in happily.

"Happy Christmas, Minerva, Albus. Ready to head back to Spinner's End, Sarah?" he asked, a daring twinkle in his eyes that rivaled that of the old deranged Headmaster's that he served. Oh, something was telling me this wouldn't be good at all. "Come on, I promise you I'll abide by your wishes on the, ah, boundaries."

"Okay," I caved. "Floo, or apparition?"

"Floo," he grinned. "I still have the fireplace in my bedroom. Come."

OoOooOoO

As soon as we got downstairs, I stared in shock. He'd gotten me all this? What the hell was he thinking?

"I know you're probably thinking I got all this for you," he smirked. "But the only gift in this mess is the fact that I'm the delivery boy. I snatched them when I was spying on your family to see how badly they truly missed you."

"These are… from them?" I asked, shocked, touched, and terrified of what I might find. He nodded, and gently handed me one of the tiny bags that I knew must have been from one of my younger cousins.

_Sarah, please come home. We love and miss you! Kendon_

I stared at the tiny note, written in his untidy scrawl. He, Preston and mason were the little lives of the party for me. they were the cousins I respected and adored the most, even if they were all three Nintendo nerds and the youngest of the generation. That had all ended abruptly when Claire, the first child of my oldest male cousin, had come along, ruining everything, including my sanity.

There were similar notes on all of the gifts, no matter who they were from. The gifts on the left side of the tree, I learned, were supposed to be my birthday presents. The ones on the right were my Christmas gifts. I was tempted to destroy the ones that Sam had given, but opened the birthday one and was appalled, and as was Severus. It was a… I couldn't believe it. an electronic method of learning Mandarin Chinese, alongside a coupon (homemade) to one free trip to Mulan's. One by one, I opened all the presents, most of which were anime related somehow or had housewarming gifts (not that I'd need them anymore with Sev's things), and a few even had something fancy schmancy, but nothing too elaborate but it was still touching. After I was done, though, I thought to all the pains that my family had put me through, and I through them.

I smirked evilly, and Severus had been practicing long and hard to be able to apparate us across the ocean, but we made it at long last. He was gasping, and I lowered him down onto a park bench to rest for a few hours while I took a look around, until I realized just where we were and what park we were in. Oh, these park-goers hated me and wanted me dead, so I jerked him awake and asked him to apparate me to my family graveyard, so to speak. I looked around, noticing we were in a graveyard, but possibly not the one I was looking for. I stared at the one in front of me, gaping, and Severus followed my gaze, his eyes soon twinkling in amusement.

Sarah Naomi Denning

August 12, 1993 – October 31, 2012

A good daughter and sister, a better friend

And to all who thought they knew her lot,

They didn't think she'd die of broken heart.

"Wow," I smiled. "Bummer I missed the funeral. When was it?"

"Apparently I just missed it when I went to pick up your gifts. They said they found a pair of your clothes with your blood on it on a river, and a dead body at the bottom. I was using Polyjuice Potion at the time, posed as a Middle school classmate who had a crush on you without being able to admit it," he shrugged. "I claimed to have missed it because of a flight delay, so they explained it. However, I know for a fact it wasn't your body, because I stole a female body from a hospital morgue that looked eerily like you and used magic to shift her dental to match your records."

"You mad genius," I smiled and leaning up to kiss him, but just barely able to reach his neck, which he apparently didn't much like. "I love you."

"And I, you," he smirked. "Now, if I'm correct – ah, here we go."

I turned to find two people walking towards the grave I was standing on, and Severus nodded and smiled as I scampered off to visit my maternal grandmother's grave. She'd understand my reasons for doing it, she'd know the pain. I felt the pang of the amulet, and raced back to Severus' side to find him at gunpoint by my brother Samuel.

"I don't care who you are," he was sobbing. "Get away from my sister, you freak. This is all your fault."

"If you want someone to shoot to take the blame, point the gun at yourself, not my fiancée," I retorted, and both my brothers froze as they saw me come out from behind the tree and race up to Severus' side.

"Hello, dearest," he smirked, pulling me towards him.

"Get your hands off her," my brothers half-yelled angrily. "Sis, what happened to you? Why aren't you fighting him?"

"Hm, no, I've already done that today," I grinned. "I found it quite lovely to have a lover's spat in the early hours of Christmas morning."

"You-you," they stammered, one gun aimed at me now. "Give us one good reason not to."

"I'm your virgin sister," I told them honestly. "Speaking of which, is it safe to tell them, love?"

"Hm? Ah, that. I don't see why not," he smirked. "Tuney knew, after all, about Yuri-san."

"Yeah, well, boys, I'm a Muggle born," I told them, and they gawked as I pulled out my wand. "Sister wand to his, ironically enough." I jerked a thumb towards Severus.

"So, it's real? It's all real?" Joe asked, and I nodded, looking pained. "We're going to have to lose our memories if we don't keep quiet. What about mom and dad? They're on their way now."

"No, they're here," Sam corrected looking at his phone and putting his gun away. "Sarah, go. We love you sis, and we're glad you're okay and finally getting married."

"If it makes you feel better, he hasn't even tried to find a date, and I've only been on a few," Joe joked weakly and I couldn't help but smile as I put my arm on Severus.

"Bye, guys," I said gently, and Severus apparated us out of there.


	14. Family Reunions

Chapter Fourteen – Family Reunions

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

Finally, the next day, it was time to see how the others were faring. I breathed in nervously, knowing Preston and Kendon would be the most understanding, but also driving Severus the most insane. He rolled his eyes at my plans, but I wanted the Sledge family, the result of my mother's only older sister, to be last. Thus, we went to the Moline family, which was the result of my mother's youngest sister.

"Ah," Severus said simply when Maddy opened the door. "I'm a friend of Sarah's."

"She's dead, thanks for the reminder," Maddy said coldly, and I snickered behind Severus. "Who is that?"

"My fiancée, now if you'd please move, she wants to talk to you as an entire family," Severus said his patience wearing thin. Maddy retreated to the living room of their house, all the others in the Moline family sitting around with worried expressions on their faces.

"No way! The guy that plays Professor Snape!" Preston yelled out in excitement. "Can I have your autograph?"

"Twit," severus muttered. "Sit down, and it could become a possibility."

"You said you wanted to talk to the whole family," Maddy said warily. "What do you, the famous Alan Rickman, want with _us_?"

"Me," I grinned stepping out from behind them. "Isn't that right, Severus?"

"Sarah!" Preston and Kendon yelled in excitement as they ran to hug me. "You're alive!"

I smiled and told them how I'd meant for the letter to be an escape, knowing that it was a possibility that I would die when I ran away. I told them I'd met up with Severus (which was partly true, I just made it look unintentional), and how he took me back to his place. I explained to them that we were engaged to be married, and how no matter what, I wouldn't leave him for the world. Although, I would _try _to visit more often, I bartered, but only if my parents never found out until I sent the family a letter saying when I was coming back to announce it to them. They stared at Severus when I said that I was living with them and that we'd made arrangements for it to be permanent.

"Permanent?" the older of the female cousins yelled, making Severus turn to give her his best glare, which she didn't notice. "What do you mean 'permanent'?"

"What I mean, Emory Lee Moline," I explained slowly, "Is that he and I are engaged to be married whether mom and dad like it or not." It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, so I smirked. "That being said, I enjoyed the presents, thank you very much, but you probably won't need to get me very much aside from Manga series that I'm into. I think the fewer and smaller presents that come across the ocean the better."

"Or they could send it directly to the house," Severus thought aloud. "But that would put us both in danger of your parents. Ah, a family friend could take the mail and forward it to me. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes," my aunt said, looking at me with watering eyes. "Sarah, you're the youngest of the three, but marrying first… we're so proud of you! Promise you'll write when you can?"

"I promise," I said, a plot up my sleeve. "I've got lost time to make up for, so I'm studying from early morn till the late evening. If it weren't for Severus making sure I ate, I'd study right through mealtimes even."

"You still do," Severus countered. "With your book propped against your cups like little-miss-know-it-all from a few years ago. Now, if you'll excuse us? I believe we still have to scare the crap out of your other cousins."

I grinned, and we retreated out the door and into the afternoon cold air. There was still snow everywhere when he apparated me to the house of my mother's other younger sister. I squealed in shock, realizing I'd forgotten about my father's half-brother, and rammed my head against the door. Severus pulled me back, putting me behind him while I rubbed my forehead cursing my stupidity.

"One too many face-palms, Sarah," he muttered just before the door opened to reveal Mason.

I could practically feel Mason's fear and excitement, as well as Severus' apprehension and excitement at the prospect of scaring Saphy into submission. She was a brat, an annoying one even though she was a mere six months younger than me, and acted most like Malfoy in the entire family. They'd be _perfect _for each other if she weren't a Muggle. We repeated the process, Saphy ending up glaring at me like I was some sort of freak. I smirked evilly and strode across the room quickly, putting my wand to her throat when I got to her, and she wet herself. Severus smirked, holding back what I knew was an obvious chuckle at her idiocy, and I flicked my wrist to send my wand back in its holster.

"Later," I grinned as we left leaving them all shocked beyond belief. Last, but not least, was the Sledge family. They'd be the hard ones, I assumed, but I was shocked when all but one took it in stride proudly.

"I hate you! You always get whatever you want!" Bobbie screamed. "You get spoiled rotten, and now its gone to your head! I wish you'd never been born!"

Seconds later, she was startled to find an angry Severus with his left hand pinning her to the wall by her throat, with his right holding his wand aimed at her face, touching her cheek.

"Don't you _ever _talk that way about my fiancée again, or I will torture you until you die in every legal means possible," he growled dangerously in a voice that I knew was meant to scare the seventh years into wetting themselves. It worked, and Bobbie shut her big yap at long last. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Dear, you're scaring the five year old in the room," I reminded after Bobbie nodded with tears now running down her face. "Although I won't deny, she's been needing to get that for a _very _long time."

"Of course she has," Severus growled as he backed off and went towards me.

"Now, dearest, let's go before you do something that will put me in prison for an eternity," I suggested in light, worried, tones.

"As you wish," he retorted through grit teeth. As soon as we were out of the mobile home, I saw my parents staring out from the driveway, and my vision cut off as I took Sev's arm to apparate us out of here.

OoOo(Severus PoV)oOoO

To say that I was enraged at that pig girl was an understatement. If Sarah hadn't dragged me out when I had, I'd have killed the idiot child. Insulting my fiancée in front of our faces – how dare she! Well, at least these cousins still thought that Sarah was a Muggle. I smirked, knowing that the cousins and family wouldn't be able to get their stories straight. One clan thought she was a Muggle and I was a wizard, one clan thought it was the other way around, and the final clan knew that both of us were magical beings. Her sons wouldn't tell, but it was worth it nonetheless.

"severus," Sarah gasped, and I looked down at her. "They saw. My parents saw."

I cursed long and multiple languages. German and Mandarin, to be precise. Don't ask, it's a long story and I won't go into detail. She plopped onto the couch, which I still cant seem to fathom why or how she likes it, and curled up like she was tired. I raised an eyebrow just as my Floo started to glow an angry red color. I re-opened the Floo Network, and Draco Malfoy stepped through with Lucius and Narcissa following in close pursuit.

"Uncle Severus!" Draco said happily as he went to embrace me. as he hugged me, I looked over to find Sarah either asleep or playing possum on the couch. Smart girl, I taught her well. "Happy Christmas! How are you? Where's this legendary prodigy I've heard about?"

"Asleep," I murmured. "Now hush before you wake her up, dragon. Happy Christmas, Lucius, Narcissa. I trust you've been well?"

"Yes," they replied, Lucius eyeing my student with disdain. "Some prodigy."

"She's worn out from apparating and spending too much time with her family. I see now why she refused to visit them all at once," I said shuddering. "There's far too many for my comfort, they're worse than the Weasley family in the 'staying together as one' department."

"There's that many?" Narcissa asked widening her eyes.

"Four sisters, two husbands, thirteen children out of them – Sarah included – and two children of one of said thirteen," I explained. "We visited them by who the sister was as the matriarch of the home. I will never go back there again unless I have to and have time to recover, that was nothing but madness and hell. Some of those girls were nothing but bitches, worse than Bellatrix, even! No offense, Narcissa. I almost hexed or cursed a few of them, and Sarah had to drag me out of one house where her cousin cussed her out in front of us."

"What?" they asked. "Cussing out a cousin that you thought was dead less than half an hour ago?"

I nodded, and told of each of the behavior of each child. Most of them had been humbled and realized their mistake, but a few – like Saphy and Bobbie – were as stubborn as ever and it was plain to see that they hated Sarah all the same, dead or alive. I also told them my suspicions of why Sarah had such a low self-esteem – she'd been hated her whole life, and all the hurtful words everyone said to her had taken root in her mind, making her feel worthless. It would take much longer to dig these roots out and destroy them than it did with Potter after his coming to the wizarding world. To top it off, her parents had known, and I told them of what I discovered researching her past while she was staying at Hogwarts for a few days.

Her parents hadn't exactly bribed the worker, but merely forgot to mention for him or her to change their gloves when they knew that said worker hadn't. as a result, she contracted citrobactor, a disease that attacks the nervous system. Her magic kept her alive without anyone knowing, and so it protected her, channeling it into damaging something else on accident, the four ventricles that get the fluid off the brain, to be precise. Her magic kept her alive for a year until they finally put a Muggle device in to replace the destroyed tissue, and said Muggle device interfered with any and all traces of magic. Her magic was only able to manifest if times of dire need, I explained, such as when her brother got her in a car crash and spiralled the metal-box-with-wheels over in a ditch. Draco's eyes widened and I explained that the vehicle had done a barrel roll, going three hundred sixty degrees three and a half times before landing upside-down in the ditch with Sarah screaming her head off in shock, and both of them unharmed aside from seat belt bruising on her stomach for her gripping it so tightly.

"That is some powerful accidental magic," Draco marveled. "It's no wonder you call her a prodigy, Uncle Sev. She probably _is _one. How much has she learned?"

"Zero Herbology and potions, but we'll work on that when we get to Hogwarts in a week's time," I explained. "However, she's up to fifth year now in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense. I'm training her myself on this last one with duels. There was actually one duel where I didn't even need to instigate it – she disarmed me right after I said three."

"Merlin's bloody blue balls," Draco said excitedly. "How old is she, Uncle Severus?"

"Taken by yours truly, Draco," I retorted, knowing exactly what he was thinking. They gaped, and I smirked and nodded, pulling up on Sarah's chain to reveal her engagement ring I'd bought her. "it took me weeks to figure out how I wanted to propose to her without making myself look like an idiot. Now watch your language, boy. Narcissa, does the vow still apply?"

"No, Severus," she smiled. "The vow is out of effect since the Dark Lord is now dead. Thank you."


	15. Hogwarts

Chapter Fifteen – Hogwarts

Severus peered into the Great Hall to find Minerva standing. He heard her announce that he would arriving before classes the next day along with his special student, who would be joining the seventh years in quartering, fifth years during OWL's, sixth years in spell classes when he deemed fit, and would be working with Professors Sprout and Slughorn on her Herbology and Potions. She requested that they treat her with respect, no matter what house she was sorted in, and the Potions master noted the sorting hat on the table in front of her. Sarah was getting more and more nervous the longer they waited, Snape noticed, so he chose then to burst into the Great Hall with her on his heels. He strode across quickly, noting she had a little bit of a hard time keeping up. She scampered to catch up to him, and hurried to keep him close. She didn't trust them, not when they could all easily be foes and hating her for being the personally-trained favorite of the dungeon bat. To the students, she was an intruder, albeit a very oddly behaved one to be trailing behind the dreaded dungeon bat they'd heard about from the older students who'd survived the war.

"Ah, students, this is Professor Snape," Minerva said with a twinkle in her eyes. "And his apprentice, Miss Denning."

"Accio Sorting Hat," Severus said as they stopped at the end of the table, and put the hat on the worried teen. "Try not to panic."

**Ah, a new student, and a Muggle born whose abilities were suppressed for so long. Yes, it's no surprise you're just now getting to us, or that he took it upon himself to teach you everything up until your fifth year spells. Let's see… you're loyal, like a Hufflepuff, Brave as a Gryffindor, Smart like a Ravenclaw, and cunning and mischievous as a Slytherin. In short, all four would suit you quite nicely.**

_Do I get a say in this at all?_

**But of course! Hm, you feel idiotic in comparison to others in your family even though you're smarter than them, so Ravenclaw is out of the question. Hufflepuff would make you feel worthless as well, so that's again out of the question. Now, the problem arises with you that I had with Mr. Potter. I don't think I want you in Slytherin…**

"But didn't you say to Potter that he would do great there?" she asked aloud, confused.

**Yes, I did. And I stand by that. However, I've seen now that it is wiser for you to go into Gryffindor.**

_No. Slytherin. I want Slytherin._

**Are you daft? They'd eat you alive for being a Muggleborn!**

_I can cast a fire spell without a wand you know. All I have to do is imagine that you're on fire._

**You wouldn't dare.**

_I dare. _

"Fine, but don't come crying to me," the hat murmured. "Slytherin!"

Severus smirked, and Sarah smiled widely at him in joy of being in his precious house. To her assumption, and his knowledge, the entire house was in an uproar at her being Muggle born and in Slytherin. She looked at him, and he nodded, knowing that if she were in Slytherin, she'd get hated for being a Muggle born, but would get treated much worse by any other house because he trained her thus far personally.

"Resort!" the Slytherin house started chanting, and Sarah looked back at Severus worriedly.

"Minerva, keep her in Slytherin," Severus said as he approached her. "She'll be dead meat if she's in any other house, and I've a mind to go back to being the head of house, if that's alright with you."

"Very well," she said with a nod before using her wand to cast an amplification charm. "Silence! She will remain in Slytherin, and that is final! If anyone has any problem with that, they can take it up with Professor Snape, who has agreed to once again be the head of house alongside Professor Slughorn! I'm sure that he'll be more than happy to hand out detentions to those who dare harm his apprentice!"

Sarah went over to the Slytherin table, and was met with a firm barrage of the cold shoulder. She sighed heavily, wanting to cry. The whole school hated her for one reason or another – Slytherin kids for being a Mudblood, the rest for being Snape's apprentice. They'd kill her if they found out she was his fiancée as well. To her shock, the others moved down the bench, making room for one daring Slytherin who had braved her peers to sit across from Sarah – the tiny blonde from Christmas.

"Hi," she greeted. "I expected you to teach Defense, but this works, too! How'd you learn so many spells since May of last year? Shouldn't it take a few years to get up to that level?"

"Professor Snape helped a lot," Sarah admitted. "He taught me the proper wordings and wand movements. I was almost starving myself to study my butt off if he didn't keep up with me for mealtimes. That was all I did all day long for most of the days was train, train, and practice the spells some more before going to bed. I read Potions books at the table with it propped up against another book."

"Wow," she said wide-eyed and awed. "You really are a prodigy. Professor Snape must be really proud of you! I'm Midna."

"Snape's proud of nobody, brat," a seventh year spat angrily. "And just because you're Snape's favorite doesn't mean you get privileges, bitch! _We _pick where you'll sleep tonight! Got it?"

"I've slept on any surface before without a problem, even gravel," Sarah bragged. "I can handle this with no problem!"

"We'll see about that," she growled before turning back to the male to her right. The rest of the meal passed in silence, and by the end of it, Sarah was almost ready to cry. She welcomed when they dismissed for the night, and she went straight into the seventh year dormitories to find enough beds for each girl, with one bed covered in luggage that wasn't hers.

"You'll be sleeping on the floor," the girl spat venomously with a sneer. "You said you could handle that?"

"Sure," Sarah grinned, faking a smile. "Thanks! It's great to be here, I don't care _where _I sleep!"

Come the next morning, however, she was regretting it and crying silently. She'd woken up at midnight freezing cold, and had crept out to Snape's office and tenderly knocked on the door. She was freezing, even with all the layers on that she had, and he opened the door in his pajamas. His eyes widened at the sight of her, and she immediately knew he was angry. With who, she had no clue.

"They put you on the floor," he stated, and she nodded. "Come in, quickly, preferably before the hypothermia sets in permanently. Here, put these on – it'll help keep you feet warmer, as well as the rest of you."

He tossed her a couple pairs of his socks, and wrapped her in his cloak before carrying her to his bed to place her there. He set her down, situating the covers over her thickly, and put a Dreamless sleep potion to her lips for her to drink. She knew what it was, and let herself fall asleep once more in his care.

Mere minutes later, the girls in the Slytherin house, along with everyone else in the dungeons, was awoken harshly by a foghorn, which Snape immediately shrank and put back in his pocket quickly. The females smirked at their new companion's missing body in the bed until they saw one of their two heads of houses glaring at them angrily. They swallowed, knowing that he was more than just pissed off, and he waited in deadly silence for Slughorn to show up in a panic.

"Ah, good, you can handle it," the old man grumbled.

"Not so fast, Horace," Severus growled. "We have unruly and disobedient Slytherin brats to punish for making their housemate sleep on the floor in the middle of winter while the headmistress clearly emphasized that my apprentice was to be treated as _an equal_ and _not _a slave."

"That little snitch," one of the girls muttered, and Severus' eyes darted to her.

"You should be lucky you're not getting expelled," he growled angrily. "She said nothing. I just know how to deal with cases like this by sight alone from the war days, brats! Horace, gather the students. There's an announcement I want to make."

Five minutes later, everyone was gathered in the common rooms and staring fearfully at a very, very angry potions master, and the companion head of house who was looking at them with disappointment.

"The seventh year females may think it's a good idea to mess with me and my apprentice, but they'd better be happy I'm not going to the headmistress to get them expelled right now," Severus began dangerously. "They made her sleep on the floor with little blankets, and if she hadn't come to me when she had, she'd have _died _of _hypothermia_! Do you know what that is, kids? It's where someone _freezes_ to death, slowly and very, _very _painfully! If I find that she, or anybody else in this house, slept on the floor one more time, I will take this to the headmistress, and _all _parties involved _will_ be expelled for recklessly endangering the life of a fellow student, and in your own house no less! If any of you see anything that is done unfairly to her for being a Muggle born, and you don't report it to me, I will give the witness a detention just as cruel as the bully's detention! I _will not _tolerate this kind of _foolish, childish _behavior in my own house! The next person who deems fit to put my apprentice's life at stake can just pack their bags and leave now!"

"Professor Snape is right," Slughorn said as his own apprentice cut off to take a breather from yelling angrily. "What you did was foolish with dire consequences. The seventh year girls, aside from Miss Denning who was the victim, will _all_ be receiving letters to home to tell their parents of what they've done, as well as a month's worth of detentions with me. I'm sure Professor Snape would like to add a month or two with him as well, yes?"

"I was planning on tutoring her during that time, but I can do so while I keep watch over you brats' detentions," Severus said darkly. "And I must emphasize how much rule number thirteen counts, damn it!"

The students' eyes, as well as Horace's, all widened. Never had they heard him cuss at them before, it was always at the Gryffindors for being dunderheads, not them! They looked at the large poster with all the Slytherin house rules, glancing at number thirteen: _No fighting outside of the common rooms, and there will be no blatant disrespect for one's lineage or upbringing within this house, and all in your year will be treated as an equal._

"Yes, sirs," the Slytherin house all chorused. "We're sorry, sirs."

"I should ruddy well hope you little brats are," Severus scowled. "Seventh year females, come with me, along with anyone who heard them telling Miss Denning where she'd sleep and why. The rest of you, get back to bed. _Now!_"

The students scrambled to get away from their teacher's wrath, and the small first year that had sat across from Sarah stood up and approached her head of house, alongside her older cousin, a third year who normally wanted nothing to do with her. The eight of them followed the potions masters up to the headmistress' office, Horace casting a patronus so she would be ready, and they went into the office terrified. Minerva had never seen Severus this angry in all her years except for at the Marauders when he was in his fifth year and on the day that Lily had agreed to marry James.

"Explain yourselves," she snapped, "one at a time! We'll start with the youngest and work our way up from there. Begin, and I want complete silence from the students who aren't telling the story."

As soon as all testimonies were done from the students, she noted that the older girls had threatened the smaller one to keep her silent, and Severus was ever so angry still. She looked at him for his own tale, and he explained that he knew what had happened immediately when she was so cold as she knocked on his door. He'd explained how he put her to bed, knowing it was the best thing to do for her while she had hypothermia was to let her sleep it off under a mass of blankets and warmth. Horace explained how he was clueless until Severus had woken everyone up with a very loud, and obnoxious, foghorn to give the whole house a proper scolding for what the seventh years had done and to make an example out of them. Snape loved Sarah, he'd come to realize that when Lily visited him on Halloween night, and was now willing to do almost anything to be with her. Even if it meant taking this job only temporarily, he reminded himself.

Or, better yet…


	16. Reporters

Okay, I probably should have said this by now, but I don't own Harry Potter or any characters except all the OC's. There's a lot of them, I know, but the main one I own is Sarah. I forgot to and deleted all the documents until this one, so yeah... Most of the students are OC's, and a few of the others as well, as well as any and all Muggles.

Chapter Sixteen – Reporters

"Spoiled little bitch," the seventh year females all grumbled at breakfast the next morning. "why does _she _get to be the one who doesn't get in trouble? She was out after curfew!"

"Yeah, to save her own life," one of the seventh year boys butt in. "She'd have died if she hadn't gone to Professor Snape! Besides that, didn't you hear? He's switching quarter space with Professor Slughorn so he can keep a better eye on all the students in the dungeons."

"Bastard spoils his bitch apprentice rotten," the seventh year female grumbled.

"Do I need to give you _more _detention for your foul language, Miss Skeeter?" Severus growled as he approached behind her, with Sarah wearing heavy clothing beside him, all black instead of the usual Slytherin green. However, it was just the outer layers of the robes that were black, and the green was extremely well hidden under it all. The other houses and students also noticed, especially since she wore a hand-knitted Weasley scarf that was enchanted to transform into the colors of her house.

"No, sir," she murmured, and Sarah clung to her mentor's robes like a worried child.

"Good. Miss Denning, I would appreciate it if you got off my robes, as I'm not a stuffed bear you can cling to whenever you want," Severus scolded and she retreated to the end of the table to eat. He immediately flicked out his wand and transformed her plate into a bowl and her toast and peanut butter into chicken noodle soup. "No objections, you need to make sure you don't get sick."

"Yes, sir," she said obediently, knowing he'd have done it anyways if they were alone. She began eating, and out of nowhere, her noodles transformed into snakes. She let out a startled scream, Snape's eyes latching onto her immediately, and seeing her distress as well as a fellow seventh year retreating their wand.

"Minerva, ring leader from last night, Sarah's bowl," he murmured, and she immediately looked over at the startled Slytherin. She sighed, flicked her wrist, and Sarah's bowl was once again filled with noodles instead of snakes. With another flick of her wrist, the bowl was protected from spells and other horrible things. Sarah took a whiff of her pumpkin juice and put it aside, only to pretend to spill it on the ring leader.

"You little bitch!" the seventh year screamed out and slapped Sarah across the face while the latter was apologizing profusely. "You ruined by new blouse!"

"Fighting, _again_?" the two heads of Slytherin growled. "Or do we need to remind you of last night's punishment?"

"No," she fumed. "But this little b-_freak _shouldn't even be here! She belongs with the Hufflepuff table!"

"The hat put her in Slytherin, and so she shall stay," Slughorn said, "Headmistress' orders."

Sarah frowned, tears welling up in her eyes. Severus was destroying his reputation, his job, everything for her. She wasn't worth it, she kept telling herself, and so she ran away, tears streaming down her face all the while. She knew where she was going – the room of requirement.

Severus immediately used his wand to bring the last of the spilled juice off the bench and floor and into a vial that he conjured. He tucked the vial into his robes, nodded at Horace to take control, and dashed off to his office to find Sarah. Upon not finding her there, he knew that she could easily find a number of other places to hide. The back of the library, he didn't bother so he asked Madame Pince to keep an eye out, and the startled witch reluctantly agreed. Severus knew by her footsteps that she'd gone upstairs, but didn't know many flights she'd gone up. He raced onwards and upwards, knowing he was running out of time before his first Defense class began, and he paced in front of the room of requirement.

_I need somewhere to talk with my ward alone. I need somewhere to talk with my ward alone,_ he thought frantically, and the doors opened for him miraculously. He surged in, finding Sarah sobbing uncontrollably on the couch, things appearing in midair in the room so she could throw them around and have as big of a tantrum as she needed.

"I hate this!" he heard her screaming. "Why can't that useless bitch just leave me alone? She's acting like she's queen on the world, but she's not! If it weren't illegal, I swear I'd be using the Cruciatus curse on her, Powder!"

The dog ran over to Severus silently, knowing her mistress was angry and upset but not knowing how to deal with the pain. Severus frowned, stepping forwards to put his hands around Sarah to calm her tantrum. She started crying, bawling onto his shoulder as he led her down to his classroom where her first class was his own with the Seventh years.

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

It hurt inside. Everything hurt inside, until he came into the room of requirement.

I felt a familiar tug behind my navel, one that was almost like traveling by Portkey, but it wasn't that, I knew. It was love, and comfort that my fiancée had arrived to whisk me away to a shotgun wedding. Hey, a girl can wish, right?

I heard him come forwards and felt the cool feel of his robes against my cheek as he held me close, blocking my arms to keep me from throwing a tantrum worse. Great Salazar Slytherin, the man really does know how to calm me down when. He started leading me back downstairs, and I panicked worse knowing I'd have to face that awful hellion of a bitch who'd tried to poison me.

"She-she tried," I gasped.

"I know," he said curtly. "Stop blubbering and start thinking like a dungeon bat, will you?"

"_There will be no silly wand-waving or incantations…"_

"_Stop that crying, the salt water doesn't mix well with the book pages."_

"_Longbottom! That's the sixth cauldron this week!"_

"_What are you doing inside on a day like this? One would think that you are…up to something."_

"_The Dark Lord never rests, and neither will I until you complete the assignment I've given you, Potter!"_

"_Yes, you insignificant Mud-covered Muggle, you're daughter is mine and nobody else's. not now, not ever, and there's nothing you can do about it since I can kill you with a flick of my wrist…"_

"_Imbecile!"_

"_Dunderhead!"_

"_Detention, Miss DuBois!"_

I couldn't help but laugh at the inside of Snape's mind. it was so cruel and heartless, but so…funny. He was actually amusing to me whenever it was supposed to be terrifying to somebody. He was no doubt giving me the what-the-hell-did-you-do-now look, and I couldn't help but subside into giggles at his erratic behavior.

"You said to," I giggled, and he rolled his eyes. "I was just following orders, sir."

"Take your seats!" he barked angrily at the Seventh year Slytherin and Gryffindor students who were milling around confused at his absence. Severis looked to me like they couldn't take an order, and I couldn't help but snicker. "Something funny, Miss Denning?"

"Missed one," I said between giggling fits, and his pointed glare just made it all the more funny and endearing. For safe measures, I decided to speak in code, Japanese to be precise. "You look cute whenever you glare. Did anyone ever tell you that?" he flushed in embarrassment, having to work to keep his scowl on. "Even more so when your face flushes, you know."

"Urusai!" he snapped, turning back to the chalkboard to write on it with the wand. "These are the spells you'll be practicing. Miss Denning, since I don't trust you with my Slytherin brats, you'll be training against me for a demonstration."

"YAY!" I yelled out excited and leapt down to race to the front of the room where I glomped him. Oh, this was going to be so hard keeping my emotions in check around him. Maybe I could work with Professor Sprout instead for the year since I had no Herbology expertise?

"At the ready," he said, and I grinned like an idiot. What can I say, I'm head over heels for the man.

"Sarah Naomi Denning!" we heard as a familiar brunette walked in. at that moment, I wanted to die.

OoOo(Severus PoV)oOoO

I watched as Sarah's mother, flames seemingly surrounding her with fury, stormed into my classroom unannounced. I glared, noticing that Sarah went to cringe behind me where she felt safer, noting how she wasn't at all scared of the dungeon bat, but a mere muggle woman sent her cringing? Really? I returned my eyes to the Muggle in front of me, pointing it at her angrily, and the entire class gasped in shock at the scene before. I saw Rita Skeeter following behind, and flicked my wand back into its sheath.

"I assume you're here for your daughter, and I will be willing to let her speak with you after class," I said evenly, "However, as you can see, we are in the middle of a demonstration."

"Of what? Sex?" the reporter sneered, and her papers, quills, and hair were all immediately set ablaze with accidental magic from Sarah. Now _that _looked like divine retribution to me if I ever saw it.

"Sarah, temper," I scolded. "You know that if you lose it, you lose control of your magic."

"Yes, Professor," she fumed angrily through grit teeth. "Sorry."

"You little brat!" the reporter screamed angrily after finally managing to magic away the fire that was on her head, leaving a small amount of disgusting hair. I smirked as her glasses broke and crumpled up.

"As I said before, I will be willing to discuss this after classes today," I said forcing calmness and respect into my tones. "Until then, I will be busy without a free period. Your daughter is of legal age, and I believe that she is more than capable of making her own choices. However, what intrigues me is why you are here. She has already told me why she left your home, and has already expressed a desire to stay at Hogwarts over the summer and during the holiday breaks. Would you really force your daughter to go back to a home if she doesn't want to do so? Would you really call that love, or would you call it being selfish like she would?"

"You don't know a thing about my baby," the curly haired brunette screamed, and Sarah came out from behind her mentor, pointing her wand at her mother, who froze. "You have no magic, you have no reason to be in this insane asylum. Come home, Sarah. Please."

"This is my home," Sarah said, her voice sure yet fearful. "I know my place. It's time you learned yours, Muggle filth."

"Normally I'd object to such use of language, but in this case, I'll admit that I wholeheartedly agree," I said hesitantly. "Now, now, Skeeter women, we wouldn't want any laws broken, now _would we_?"

"What are you talking about?" Rita asked, obviously trying to get away with it. "I've broken no laws."

"Oh? I've been informed by one of my current students that you're an-!" I began, but she cut me off.

"Alright," she caved, realizing I knew her secret. "What do you want?"

"First, come here, for it won't be me you'll be dealing with," I smirked. "That's up to the person in question. Class dismissed, and detention for anyone who fails to practice the curses and their counter-curses I've assigned before class next time."

"Now, what are you willing to give up for me to keep your secret?" Sarah smirked evilly, her eyes ablaze with delight at blackmail. "After all, I'm a woman of my word, I can assure you."

"Fine," she huffed. "I'll give up writing about Potter."

"No, no dice," I snapped. "I've been informed by a very well hidden spy that that has already been done on his behalf. Perhaps, you'll never write another article about a war hero ever again."

"No, Sensei," Sarah said thoughtfully. "No, I've got something better in mind. Professor, your wand if you will."

"You aren't really thinking of the unbreakable vow?" she gawked. "You're out of your mind!"

"I'm dying anyways," Sarah shot back, and I stared at her. "I'll explain later, Sensei, hereditary disease that I got from my stupid Muggle filth's genetics!"

"Fine!" Rita caved at last. "I swear that I won't ever write another article about you again. Is that fair?"

"No, because it's not just me," Sarah snapped angrily. "You won't write another word about a number of people, and I'll give you a list of them. Hermione Jean Granger, Ronald Weasley, me, any current, former, or future headmaster or headmistress – yes, that includes Professor Snape, you twit! – and… ah, yes, you'll be writing an article saying that all that you wrote about those aforementioned, as well as Harry James Potter and Rubeus Hagrid, were a batch of lies. Deal?"

"No," she screamed, and I held my wand to prepare a patronus. "All right! I'll do it, just don't reveal me!"

"Pleasure doing business with you, ma'am," Sarah smirked evilly, bringing out a piece of parchment and using her wand to put the contract into effect. "Here's the contract, Skeeter. We Americans prefer a written contract, signed by both parties, you know."

She glared at us and signed the paper, and Sarah signed as well, and I suddenly saw a loophole in her thinking. I was a witness, but she never said anything about _me _babbling. Miss Granger knew as well, and as did Potter, which was a plus, and now I did. That meant two witnesses against her, as well as Weasley, which made three. And, if we did it under Veritaserum effect, telling the truth of what really happened behind those _Prophet _articles. I smiled as Rita Skeeter left angrily with her seventh year Slytherin daughter hot at her heels, knowing that Sarah and I had the upper hand.


	17. Right on Targets

Chapter Seventeen – Right on Targets

"I still don't get how that bitch got laid," Sarah said as soon as the door was closed, "But I _do _know how you two got your hands on my whereabouts! That Riku Skeeter bitch and her bitch hellion mother, Rita Skeeter blabbed!"

"No," Jennifer corrected her daughter. "Bobbie and Saphy did when we asked them after we saw you two apparating. Why didn't you show magic before? Why so late in life?"

"Because the shunt in my head was blocking it off except during times of great stress," Sarah screamed angrily. "All those years I was stressing about Christmas finals and then sick for a week after they were finally over? Whenever Sam spun the car in the ditch and we both escaped without a scratch? How I survived massive water buildup on the brain in 2008 when the doctor said I should have died from all of that was there?"

"This was all accidental magic," Severus explained calmly. "And now that we've healed her and gotten rid of this…shunt... we need to teach her how to control it. She's been staying with a private tutor to be able to catch up on her studies, Mr. and Mrs. Denning. You should be proud that your daughter went from being able to barely do magic when only necessary to being able to perform sixth year spells in less than a year's time. It normally takes students six years to do so, and she's learned in seven months."

"And what about potions? Herbology? Astronomy?" the father asked, and scowls came from the two.

"I've given Sarah notes from my own Potions books," Severus said calmly. "She will be working on Herbology for the next few months. She goes to get tested by the Ministry of Magic tomorrow."

OoOo(Snape PoV)oOoO

It was now evening of the day she was to be tested by the Ministry of Magic, and I was terrified. They wouldn't let me in since I was her mentor, and they didn't want last minute training or advice. I could feel the fear rolling off of most of the Slytherin house by now, and the two Muggles that Sarah had to call her parents were bound and gagged at the edge of the Slytherin table, the students occasionally sending a stinging hex their way.

She'd left at five in the morning, long before most of the others were awake, and we had said our goodbyes, with me giving a tiny bit of last minute advice. I'd taught her as best I could, I scolded myself, I can only depend on the fact that I know she'll try her hardest no matter what. She aimed to please me, which wasn't an easy feat most of the time. What was it with me and falling for Muggle born witches whose older _Muggle_ siblings treated them like dirt under their feet? First Lily with Petunia, and now it was Sarah with Sam and her parents.

"I did it!" Sarah squealed happily as she raced across the Great Hall. "I tested out of class for Charms, Transfiguration and Defense!"

"That's wonderful," I found myself congratulating happily. "Herbology? Potions? What did they say about them?"

"Well, they want me to seriously work on Herbology," Sarah admitted. "But I still tested third year, and sixth year on the latter. I tested way past Seventh Year on Muggle studies – no surprise there – and sixth year for Care of Magical Creatures."

"Yes," I gasped and pulled her into a hug. "I am so proud of you! That's wonderful! Minerva, did you hear all that?"

"Yes," she smiled gently. "I heard. Well done, Sarah. I'm sure Hagrid can fill you in on your NEWT level creatures while Pomona and Neville help you with your Herbology. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Sarah smiled, and I couldn't help but beam alongside her.

Minerva stood up then and announced Sarah's test results and where she would be staying for classes for the rest of the year. Monday through Friday, all day with Pomona, Saturdays with Hagrid for more practice, and Sundays off for free time. The fifth and seventh years cheered at having her gone throughout most of their classes, while the Slytherin house cheered happily at her being so well advanced for learning it all so late. I swore that I'd never let anyone get their hands on her.

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

I sighed as I flopped into my bed in the dungeons of the Slytherin common room. I wasn't at all homesick for Conway, but I _did _want to go to Fayetteville to let everybody there know I was okay and that my parents had just _assumed _by my letter that I was dead (which was what I was going for). I just hadn't expected for it to get this far, and Severus had been forced to wipe all the memories of me that I'd gotten with my family from their minds, but only when it came to the ones after I'd ran away. Even Sam and Joe's memories had been wiped clean, and my parents – well, my parents were furious as all get-out, but I needed my dad to give me away at the wedding with Severus, so I didn't.

I felt a movement in my blankets, and suddenly two Gryffindor boys were pinning me down while a third held his hand over my mouth, with his other hand on my wand. The fourth one was unzipping his trousers, and I wanted to scream for all I was worth to get Severus to rescue me.

I didn't have long to wait. Severus charged in with Slughorn and the headmistress hot on his heels, and I was writhing and trying to escape. The boys' eyes widened, and Severus immediately whipped out his wand and sent them spiraling upwards by their ankles. I felt dizzy, and Severus was beside me within moments. He was trying to say something, but for the life of me I couldn't make it out.

I moaned in pain and exhaustion as the dark cold waters of slumber flooded all reasoning to stay awake for the man I loved. I wanted to let him know that they had tried but I'd been writhing too much for them to aim properly. I could tell by the look on Severus and the headmistress' faces that these four Gryffindor boys were going to Azkaban for a long time yet.

I could still feel my surroundings, however, and felt Severus drape my blankets over me and carry me up to the hospital wing while the other two stayed behind to tend to the rowdy and foolish Gryffindors. At least, I think they were Gryffindors. Or was one of them Hufflepuff? No, only a Gryffindor would be so stupid and rash as to go into the dungeons to rape a powerful witch who was the apprentice of a wizard as powerful as Professor Snape. I could feel my ankles swaying slightly as Severus walked briskly, his stride long and worried, no doubt panic written on his face right now.

"Great Helena Hufflepuff!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed when he reached the Hospital Wing. "What have you done to her, Severus?"

"Four Gryffindor boys tried to rape her," he explained quietly. "I'll need somewhere private for her that's protected from boys for the most part. I brought her as soon as I could, but I'm not sure if they managed anything or not. She was writhing and putting up one hell of a fight, I swore she was acting more like a Gryffindor at the time. then again it's understandable given the circumstances."

"I hope those boys get expelled!" she exclaimed as she ran the diagnostic charm. my stomach clenched fearfully. Did they manage anything? I couldn't remember anymore, I was so confused. "You're lucky you got there when you did, Severus. They didn't penetrate, but there's bruising to prove that they most definitely tried their hardest to."

"Thank Slytherin," he sighed as he flopped down in the chair next to me. "This little hellion's been a trouble magnet for the other students while she stays in the dorms. I'll have to ask Minerva to get permission for her to stay with me in my chambers, that way she'll be safe."

"A brilliant suggestion," Poppy agreed. "You should send a patronus."

"No, it will look like I'm being too protective of her," Severus objected. "I know I am, but I've got to tone down the protective fiancée title until after the school year is over. then I can marry her without getting in too much trouble. It would be more official and beneficial if you did it anyways, Poppy, then she'd have less of a time denying you since we all know how overprotective you are of your patients."

"Fine," she huffed, and there was a distinct swish and flicking sound on the wind. "Done. Now all we wait for is to get word back."

"Yes, that would be best," the headmistress' voice came, no doubt through a Patronus. "Have your snakes help pack her things with Horace's supervision since tomorrow is a Saturday, Severus. I'm sure Sarah will need a few more days to recover from the shock."

"Oh, thank god," Severus breathed as the room finally came back into focus for me. "Poppy! She's waking! How do you feel, pet?"

"Sev," I whined, wanting to go to him but not wanting to get hurt. "Severus… Severus…"

"Shh, I'm here," he soothed as he pulled me to his chest, keeping his lower areas on the chair while cradling me gently. "Shh, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, and neither is Poppy."

"Don't go," I sobbed. "Don't go…"


	18. MediWizard, or Potions Master?

Chapter Eighteen – Medi-Wizard, or Potions Master?

Over the course of the next few days, Severus found Sarah clinging to him for dear life, her eyes hollowing out and her actions becoming zombie-like. She learned faster, and was much more efficient, but in all honesty, it scared him. She was becoming more like Hermione, only she had somehow become a mute in all the ragtag mess that had happened, and she'd likely never trust a man again when the chips were down. He wanted to strangle those four Gryffindors, but considering the fact that they'd covered her mouth while they attempted to and almost choked her, they got thirty years in Azkaban for attempted rape.

Sarah was infamous overnight as a result, mostly amongst the Gryffindors, and most girls around the school were soon telling her how glad they were to be rid of said Gryffindor males who'd tried to hurt her. Apparently she hadn't been the only one they'd targeted, but was the first one they'd gotten caught red-handed with. Sarah had moved into the spare bedroom in Snape's quarters, which were down the hall from the Slytherin commons, so she didn't have too terribly far to move, and this almost comforted her in a way. She still felt empty, like she'd died inside, like she'd betrayed the one man that she loved most over a pack of ravenous wolves that treated her like dirt and a slave combined, even though the lattermost wasn't her fault at all. She was constantly berating herself, and she was soon eating less and less, leading to almost nothing at all. Severus had begun giving her a nutrient potion to keep her going, and she was taking it, but it only made her feel worse.

It was coming up on the end of the year before they knew it, and she'd been with him for a year. She studied her posterior off and into the later hours of the night, even later than Severus worked and graded, to ensure that she got the grades that she wanted. The tests came and went, and the castle was soon getting ready to go back home for the summer. Severus was researching trauma victims and phsycological effects that shock-induced trauma could have on one's brain, attitude, and even mental state of mind and capacity. Sarah was still barely eating the week before it was time to leave, and it was on the way upstairs to Minerva's office that the teen's body finally gave out and could go no further. She collapsed, falling down the staircase in a heap, with most students ducking out of the way, one adult taking initiative to stop his ascent to help her.

Harry Potter looked down at the young woman, recognizing her as Snape's pupil, but was looking a lot more haggard and nutrient and sleep deprived than even her Potions master mentor. He sent a patronus to Minerva to tell why he'd be late, and sent one of the students for Poppy and another for her head of house. The mediwitch arrived on the scene very quickly, taking matters into her hands, and sent the young man off in a huff. He watched sadly as she went downstairs with the young woman who may very well have died and wondered vaguely how Snape would take the news. He knew it would be bad, as long as someone explained to the grouch that she'd fallen from lack of nutrients. No doubt that Poppy would.

He went on up the stairs to talk to Minerva, and began the interview. He nodded, and his eyes widened at the idea that was presented before him. Defense Against the Dark Arts was needing to be filled yet _again_?

"but Minerva, who's been filling in since Christmas?" Harry asked confused.

"Severus has, and his apprentice just finished taking her NEWT tests," she replied. "She tested out of OWL's in everything except Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Her scores aren't back yet for the tests."

"She collapsed on the way up here. What's been going on, Minerva? Did Snape hurt her?"

"No, Mr. Potter, he would never," she snapped angrily. "He's the one who intervened to rescue her, actually. As much as I hate to admit it, it was four rowdy Gryffindor boys who did that to her when they tried to rape her in her own Slytherin female dormitories. She's been like this ever since, talking only to Severus, and even then, it's only to answer an educational question. Even Poppy and I are at a loss of what to do now. We've tried almost everything."

"What has Snape tried?" Harry asked, and the animagus shrugged. "That private, huh? Maybe she's acting like this because she's scared and wants to appear less appealing so she doesn't get hurt again."

"That has got to be the best bloody idea you've come up with, Potter," Snape said behind him, and the younger wizard turned around. "But that still doesn't fix anything. Minerva, now that she's not a student…"

"Yes, Severus, you may go on ahead and marry her," the old witch groaned, and he smirked happily to keep his reputation intact. "I'd threaten you not to hurt her, but with the way you've been acting like an over-protective wolf when it comes to her, you two will be fine."

"Can we go visit her?" Harry asked worriedly. "I'm the one who…"

"I know," Severus cut him off. "It's best for Minerva to come as well to keep the genders even. She won't feel threatened as long as there're more girls than guys in the room. The Hufflepuff student told me."

"Right. Let's go," Harry said and the trio headed out to the Hospital Wing to see how Sarah was doing. Naturally, she recognized him, and her eyes seemed to lighten up a little more whenever Severus entered last with a worried expression on his face.

"Sev," she murmured. "Severus."

"That's all she's been saying," the mediwitch groaned to the potions master. "I don't know what you did to make her this dependant on you, but it has got to stop. She graduates in a week, severus, you can't have a student interfering in your house life! Not that you have one."

"not yet I don't," he smirked. "no, Poppy, that's _why _she's so dependent on me. she's my fiancée, of course I'm going to be there for her to protect her. and now that she's graduated, I can officially announce our engagement should I so choose, which I don't. No, I'd rather like a smaller wedding, but if she wants a big one, I'll oblige."

"Small," she murmured. "Potter, McGonagall, Granger. Bree."

"Holy crap," the mediwitch stared. "You snapped her out of it. you, Severus, are a miracle worker with this unruly hellion of a child."

"And that's just how I like her," he smirked as he sat down next to her to rub her forehead gently with his thumb. "Blunt and to the point when she needs to be, laughs when I'm trying to be cruel and heartless, and only takes offense on the rare occasion that someone hits below the belt. She's a prodigy and she knows it."

"yeah, and your kids are going to be even better than both of you are with your two skills combined into one," Harry laughed, and Snape glared at him. "What? It's true!"

"Then I can only hope the children inherit her recalling skills, my brains otherwise, her nose, and I don't care what else," Severus shuddered. "So long as there aren't too many hyperactive knuckleheaded ones, I can deal with almost anything she can give out."

"You say that now, but I sure to wish James and Alby would play more with Lily," Harry sighed. "Did you know his full name?"

"James Harry Potter and Albus Sirius Potter," Severus scowled. "I know."

"No," Harry smiled. "James Sirius and Albus Severus Potter."

"You named him after me?" Severus asked with widened eyes. "Why?"

"You were one of the bravest men I knew," Harry shrugged, "And you saved my life more than two dozen times I'm sure. It's the least I can do as a way of saying thank you for all those times you saved and helped me."

"Home," Sarah murmured. "Home. Severus home."

"I think she hit her head," one third year Gryffindor grinned as she walked in. "Who on earth would think Professor Snape is their home? That's preposterous!"

"Why you little-!" Severus growled angrily.

"Detention will start next year for you, young lady! My office at seven pm. And _don't _make me hunt you down, or you'll have it the rest of your school life!" Harry said angrily. "You do not disrespect a teacher or a fellow student like that!"

"You're staying?" Minerva asked shocked, and Severus scoffed and shook his head as Sarah nuzzled him.


	19. Waking Up

Chapter Nineteen – Waking Up

Severus scowled as he watched Sarah board the Hogwarts Express. He'd given strict instructions to the fifth and sixth year students to protect her as best they could, and they'd agreed happily since she was like an older-and-younger sister to them. She was older and acted it sometimes, but would also sometimes act like a little kid who was five to ten again. she relished the feel of the train, finally waking up and getting out to explore the world. Nobody had told her until she was hospitalized about those boys getting sent to Azkaban, so she felt free and, to top it off, she was getting married in a month's time!

She sighed, dreaming of being able to be called "Mrs. Snape" and not have to worry about getting raped again – they knew what would happen to them if they did. Her stomach clenched and she frowned worriedly, wondering how long she'd been feeling like she wasn't even alive. She couldn't even remember taking her NEWT exams or helping Professor Sprout or Hagrid at all with the tasks she was assigned. All she remembered was feeling hollow because her assailants were scaring her in her dreams, though she'd admit it to nobody but Severus, who already knew. She sighed, getting up to use the restroom, but only then realizing that she'd left her familiar at Hogwarts. Oh well, she shrugged, Severus would pick Powder up.

But Severus couldn't, he gasped as the entire teacher's lounge stared at the deceased familiar in front of them. Sarah's precious dog was horribly mutilated, a note written in blood: _this will be you if you come back here, bitch_. Severus' gut clenched, and he tenderly stepped forward, Hagrid handing him a jacket to use. He transfigured it and tenderly placed the dog's innards back where they belonged as best he could before tenderly wrapping and picking it up. He sighed, verbally asking the others if they knew how to comfort a twenty-year old female who'd just lost her familiar of seven years. They shrugged, and he left with the Schnauzer in his arms. He hadn't the faintest idea of what to do, so he transfigured a stick into a tiny box/coffin for the canine, putting it with his own things.

"Dobby!" he called out, and the house elf appeared beside him with a signature pop. "Could you take this box to Spinner's End, my Muggle abode, for me? It's important, and I don't think it'll survive being shrunken. Don't open it."

"Yes, Mister Snape!" he agreed happily as he carefully took the box and disappeared with the pop again.

OoOoOoOoO

Molly Weasley was looking around and spotted Sarah wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans, black ninja-sandals off of _Naruto_, and a pouch on her waist for kunai knives with her wand inside it. she gasped, noting that the young witch's hair was tied back unlike Snape's, but the teen's wardrobe was very much similar, with her Sound headband being the only non-black article of clothing the young Slytherin was wearing. She hadn't been offered a job because Snape was her mentor, and she didn't know her grades yet since she took her NEWTs while the fifth years took their OWL's. She yawned, having just been woken up from a nap, and looked around at the station, looking around her wearily. She accepted her luggage, with some help, and headed over to the two Gryffindor women, yawning once more. She pulled out an Ipod touch, turning on a tune from a Miyazaki movie, and placed it in her pocket while sticking her left ear bud in. She yawned as she put the right one in, looking around for two females that she would possibly recognize.

Hermione tapped Sarah's shoulder, and the younger witch turned her head, then nodded in recognition and understanding as Molly Weasley approached behind the Gryffindor. She listened to the Ipod touch the whole way to the Burrow, and was shocked to be greeted by an onslaught of Weasley clan members when she opened the door. She stared, her fears coming back, and the two older witches caught her by the arms when she tried to back out.

"Ginny, round up all the girls," Molly instructed. "I want the number of adult females down here to match the number of adult males, not including this little brunette."

"But, mum," the redhead began protesting, but stopped when she saw the animosity in the Slytherin's eyes as she tried to back out.

When the number of females was equal to the number of males, Charlie and Molly evening the numbers since Arthur wasn't home yet, Sarah finally felt a little more at ease to come in, but made sure that Ginny and Hermione were at her side. She was startled when Harry appeared in the fireplace, who smiled in understanding at the situation and sat on the other side of Ginny with Ron sitting on the other side of Hermione. Sarah began fidgeting, glancing nervously at George and Charlie, both of whom were still single, but not yet worrying about getting attacked. Harry had saved her life, and she knew that the Golden Trio wouldn't attack her with such intentions. A knock came at the door, and Molly went to open it.

"Ah, so this is who he was bragging about," Arthur said in recognition as he saw Sarah. "I can see what he meant when he said she was very fidgety around males that she didn't know very well. Don't worry, Miss Denning, your fiancée is on his way." He was tempted to ask about the headphones and the item in her pocket, but a warning glare from his wife, and one glance at Sarah's tense posture said otherwise.

Sarah visibly relaxed at that point, letting her strict posture finally rest and let herself lean forward, looking at a book on Mrs. Weasley's mantle. She'd been silent the whole time, worrying about her familiar. Harry was looking at her sadly, and it clicked that Powder was dead, and that whoever had threatened her the first time after letting her parents in still wanted her gone badly enough to kill her familiar on the last day that they were at the castle. She shook her head, pulling out her Ipod touch to change the song, looking around for a song that would let her scream or sing her lungs out until Snape arrived to scare the crap out of all the Weasley's.

"Uh-oh," Harry said furrowing his brow. "I think she figured out something she wasn't supposed to by keeping an eye on me. She got taught a little bit of Legilimens on the side, too, by the looks of it."

Sarah chose to ignore him, starting to sing "The Plagues"from Disney's _Prince of Egypt_ in german to vent her stress, imagining her parents in the place of the Egyptians. Once it was done, she moved on to singing it in Japanese, then Mandarin, and finally moving on to the English version of the playlist. She looked to Harry and Hermione, who nodded in understanding that they needed to sing the backup voices. When the song completed, Sarah needed to vent more still, so she changed the playlist to an entirely different one that she hoped would help her relax some more indoors, one that Harry immediately recognized off of _Naruto _whenever he was watching Dudley's DVD's with him one year for Christmas, _Natsuhiboshi_.

_Natsuhiboshi naze akai! Yuube kanashii yume wo mita_

_Naite hanashita. Akai meyo. _

_Natsuhiboshi naze mayou? _

_Kieta warashi wo sagashiteru. _

_Dakara kanashii yume wo miru._

_Natsuhiboshi, why are you so red?_

_Because I had a sad dream last night._

_My eyes are red from the tears I shed,_

_Swollen as I cry._

_**Natsuhiboshi, why've you lost your way?**_

_I'm searching for a friend who's gone afar._

_He can't be found, though I search all day._

_My sad dreams come once more._

Sarah was about to move on to the German translation when she realized that she had heard a familiar male baritone coming from the kitchen. She lifted her head to confirm what she heard, and all of the Weasley family stared at their former Potions teacher, standing there in his traditional black garb. He narrowed his eyes at the redheads, stopping his glaring only when he turned his eyes onto Sarah. They both knew that they needed to be singing together, but most of the Weasley clan now had their wands out and pointed at him. He knew it was pointless to even try to duel them all at once, so he kept his wand in his sheath. Sarah, however, had other ideas.

"Put your wands down," she ordered. "Or I _will _use it."

"There's a lack of perfect breasts in the world. It would be a pity to damage yours," Snape said with a smirk and crossing his arms, but he was drowned out by Ron, so only Sarah heard him.

"You wouldn't dare," Ron asked appalled as he looked at the knife that she'd had in her pouch, resting now in her hands and pointed at her bodice. "You'd risk your life for _Snape_?"

"I'd risk my life to make sure you idiots don't kill an innocent man," she spat. "Or do I need to get it into your pea-sized brain that you're not the strongest wizard here?"

"yeah, Harry is," ron said, and Harry snorted. "You are!"

"No, Ron, Professor Snape is," Harry argued. "Now put your wands down, Sarah's a woman of her word."

They reluctantly lowered their wands, and she scanned them to ensure that they were all down. She stood up and sheathed the knife back in her back as she strode quickly towards her fiancée. She could practically hear the Weasley jaws dropping in shock as she hugged him, and even more so whenever he put his arms around her in return.

"Well, there goes Charlie's and my chances to get a beautiful and powerful witch in our beds," George snorted, and Sarah tensed up.

"Don't you _ever _talk that way about my fiancée again, Weasley, or you won't be talking at all _ever_," the potions master growled angrily pulling his wife-to-be deeper into his black robes. Her arms closed in tighter around his waist in fear, and Severus turned his attention back to her. "Come now, Princess, let's not cut off all circulation, I still have to walk to get to my classroom and the Great Hall."

"Among other things," Ron grinned, and Sarah was pointing her wand at his throat within seconds angrily. "What? I'm just saying!"

"If you don't want to become an Avox, I recommend you keep your inappropriate comments to yourself, you asshole faced buffoon," Sarah growled, and Severus raised his eyebrows and smirked in amusement at her threats.

"Sarah, what, pray tell, is an Avox?" Severus asked, and she grinned wickedly.

"It's something in a Trilogy called _The Hunger Games_. An Avox was someone who had their tongue cut out with torture methods," Sarah explained evilly. "There's also the ideas of tracker-jackers, and they basically cause you to hallucinate for a few hours. If used as a torture method for prolonged periods of time… well, I'll let you conjure that image."

"Subarashii," Severus grinned. [1] "Now that is very impressive. I can see now why you were in Slytherin with all those torture methods in your head. It's a shame we can't use them all…"

"Oh, but we _can_," she grinned. "And my first target is my idiotic cousins who rat me out."

"And I believe the phrase off of _The Princess Bride _that you were looking for was...was…" Severus contemplated. "Was…shit…"

"You forgot?" Sarah accused, and he smirked sheepishly. "I'll take that as a yes."

"As you wish," Snape chuckled as he handed her the box, which she ignored and put back on the table where it had been before.


	20. Princess Bride

Chapter Twenty – Princess Bride

"You're the Dread Pirate Roberts, admit it!" Sarah yelled out once Severus had decided to calm her down by getting her to quote _The Princess Bride _for who knew how long.

"With pride," he bowed slightly, "What can I do for you?"

"You can die slowly cut into a thousand pieces!" she yelled at him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's hardly complimentary Highness. Why loose your venom on me?" Severus asked curiously.

"You killed my love!"

"It's possible. I kill a lot of people."

"Fine then," Ron shouted exasperated at their insanity and his not understanding, whisking his wand out for a duel. "To the death!"

"No! To the pain," Sarah grinned, eager to have a new playmate.

"I don't believe Ron's familiar with that phrase," Harry grinned, having watched the movie they were quoting.

"Then I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon," Sarah sneered at Ronald, who was paling as she argued with the dreaded bat of the dungeons.

"That may be the first time in my life that a man has dared to insult me," Severus frowned, thinking of his adult life.

"It won't be the last," Sarah grinned at him.

"Away witch!" Snape cried out striding off.

"I'm no witch! I'm your wife! But after what you just said, I'm not sure I want to be that anymore!" Sarah retorted. "Don't listen to him! He's been like this ever since Humperdinck fired him!"

"Gah!" Snape gasped, covering his ears. "You promised you wouldn't say that name! You promised and you said it!

"Humperdinck."

"Gah!"

"Humperdinck," she repeated. "Humperdinck, Humperdinck, Humperdinck."

"But this is Buttercup's true love," Harry cut in with Inigo's part. "If you heal him, he will stop Humperdinck's wedding."

"Wait, wait," Snape stopped striding and Sarah stops chasing. "I make him better, Humperdinck suffers?"

"Humiliations galore," Harry grinned widely with mischief.

"_That _is a noble cause! Give me the sixty-five, I'm on the job!" Severus ordered, and Sarah whooped softly. "It was ten days to the wedding. The king still lived, but buttercup's nightmares were growing steadily worse."

"See!" Sarah cried out. "I _told _you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck!"

"Yes, you're very smart. Shut up," Snape sneered, and then remembered a blooper reel. "My people! A month from now…*stares blankly*… I've forgotten my line!"

"Let's go," Sarah grinned happily.

"Where?" Snape asked curiously.

"The man in black, obviously," Sarah said like it was obvious.

"But you don't know where he is," Snape pointed out, not wanting to point out that if he had a mask on, he could have passed as Wesley with black hair.

"Don't bother me with trifles. After twenty years, at last my father's soul will be at peace. There will be blood tonight!" she yelled with an idiotic grin plastered on her face as she dashed out the door and raced across the Weasley's front lawn.

"I apologize for her erratic behavior," Severus smiled softly while chuckling, finally stopping the quotes from the movie. "As you can see, quoting movies alongside her has a calming effect on her. somehow, I'm the only one who can quote movies as spontaneously as she can that we know of that is outside of her family. Again, I apologize for what she's done."

"It wasn't a problem, Severus," Molly laughed. "It was worth it in the end to see you two quoting back and forth at each other. It was quite entertaining."

"Yes, I'm sure it was," he sneered. "Again, thank you for handling the hellfire hooligan, Molly."

"Is she really your wife, Professor?" Ginny asked him, and Snape turned to her.

"Fiancée," he corrected. "She makes it all too easy to create a distraction. Sometimes I wonder whether or not a two-year old has a longer attention span than she does…"

"Sounds like someone who would drive you nuts," Ron grinned.

"Only sometimes, Mr. Weasley, as she can also be on the opposite end of the spectrum to the point that I will have to literally drag her away from what she is engrossed in," Severus growled. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get going _before _she is yet again on the verge of a breakdown."

With that statement done with, he walked out of the burrow and to Sarah to apparate her back to Spinner's End. She saw the box on the table where Dobby had put it, and her eyes watered up as Severus put his hands on her shoulders. A statis charm had been cast around it, and Sarah was at her wits end trying to stay composed.

"I thought we could bury her together," he whispered. "I – I put everything back as best I could, but there are some things you just can't. Sarah, I…"

"Please help," she whispered, and he kissed her jaw gently from behind her. He picked up the box, walked outside, and they held a short and tiny funeral for the small dog that had been Sarah's best friend in her time of greatest sorrows before she was of age. Severus used a sharpened shovel to get the job done and was quickly done with the work of the shallow grave. "Severus…"

"Shh, my love," he soothed as he led her inside for the night. "It'll be alright. As soon as we're done with the wedding in two weeks' time, we'll take our honeymoon and, if you want, shopping for a new familiar. We won't shop until you're ready, my love, just the same as our … intimacy, or lack thereof."

"Take me," she gasped, sobbing. "Take me! Make me yours!"

"Shh, love," Severus soothed as he led her to the bedroom, knowing it was her suffering that was triggering this. "Here, drink," he said as he held up a vial, and she drank the Dreamless sleep potion without a second thought. She collapsed on the bed almost immediately, and Severus had to contemplate whether or not he wanted to change her clothes by hand. He mentally slapped himself and simply transfigured her clothes. She had had a long and very tiring day, after all, and it was now midnight, meaning a new one had just begun.

OoOo(Snape PoV)oOoO

Thank God I made it a small wedding. Well, sort of small. Sarah felt the need to invite Potter and Granger, but their redheaded spouses didn't come since they had to keep an eye on the kids. That was it for her side, surprisingly. Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy were representing my side of the family, which was biologically nonexistent. Minerva and Fillius came as well, and I was quite happy that oaf Hagrid was absent. Not a Muggle in sight either…

Naturally, I sensed that Sarah was having a hard time paying attention to the vows because they were so bloody long. I couldn't blame her, and even I caught my concentration on it slipping every so often. I smiled at how beautiful she looked in her white dress robes, while I was wearing my standard black. I swear, if Sarah could sleep on her feet, she'd have fallen asleep and would have been out for a while.

When it came time for the "I do's" her attention snapped back, forwards to the minister. We both said "I do" at the appropriate times, and her erratic breathing was so endearing to me. I cupped her face gently with my fingers, bringing her in for the gentle kiss that would begin our marriage forever. I smirked, and she gave me a don't-you-dare-apparate-us-away look with her eyes. I sighed, knowing that we'd have to go through all the pleasantries yet again. Hmm…. Who to approach first?

"Congratulations, Uncle Severus," Draco said with his eyes glowing in pride as he came forward to hug me. "I, um, apologize for my rudeness when we first met in the pub, Mrs. Snape." I rose an eyebrow.

"It's alright," Sarah smiled. "You were upset about missing him, I think. But yes, I really was his apprentice at the time."

"What? And you – how? You wound up sorted into Slytherin, didn't you?" Draco smirked.

"Yes," we laughed. Lucius and Narcissa smiled as they each put a hand on their son's shoulder.

"We'll write to you as soon as your honeymoon's over," Narcissa promised.

"And when we get a reply, I'd like some background and hobbies of your new bride's, old friend," Lucius smirked. I noticed that sarah was a bit uncomfortable, but so did Narcissa, so she hurried her boys along.

Finally, once all the other pleasantries were over with, only Minerva and Fillius were left to talk to.

"Congratulations, Severus, Sarah," they smiled in unison. "It's about time, but you already knew that."

"Yeah," she grinned sheepishly. "Professors, what will we do next year when he has to return to teaching?"

"Could you teach Defense?" Minerva asked worriedly. "Harry's worried the Aurors won't let him teach."

"Yes, I'll teach if he can't make it," Sarah agreed. "After all, I learned from the best! Do you still need a Muggle Studies teacher?"

"Admittedly, no," she said shaking her head. "Another Muggle born already took the position. He was very adamant about it. as for when Severus is teaching – he can have every other weekend at home, as well as all the vacations if he so chooses, or you could come live at Hogwarts."

"Ooh, does that mean that if I took over Filch's job, I could use magic on what he can't?" she asked excitedly, and Fillius and Minerva looked at each other before laughing.

"yes," Minerva replied. "Or, perhaps as a Potions Mistress? Severus is your mentor and husband, after all, I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help you."

"Would you, Severus?" she asked me, her eyes alive.

"Hm," I pretended to think about it. "I do believe, my Princess Bride… that I will."

"Oh, thank you, Sev!" she gasped and flung herself onto my neck. It hurt, but I wasn't one to complain, not when she so rarely got them at home with her parents. Maybe now the confrontation with them would be easier?


	21. Day One

Chapter 21 – Day One

OoOo(Sev PoV)oOoO

Sarah shook off her beautiful robes to reveal a beautiful back, free of scarring. I knew from what she'd told me that she had two scars on her mid-abdomen and one on her chest from when she was in the hospital as an infant, but I didn't care. To me, each of her surgery scars represented a battle fought and won medically. Sadly, the same couldn't be said about mine, so I turned back around in embarrassment and humiliation at the scars that betrayed each of my horrible deeds.

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

Once I was half-naked, I turned around to find my new husband also half-naked, also facing away from me. I stared in shock for a bit at his scar-covered back, but recovered with a sense of awe and pride at him, knowing that each scar was likely a punishment for something he'd done wrong for Voldemort and him taking his spy tasks in stride. His scars were beautiful and had meaning, while mine were nothing but a hindrance. Mine paled in comparison; they were from surgeries that I wasn't even awake for and him… he was awake and in pain to receive those scars of battle. I turned back away from him in shame at the hideousness of my scars in comparison to his. How could I ever hope to get him to accept mine?

OoOo(3rd Person PoV)oOoO

Once the new bride and groom finished changing into pajamas, they climbed into bed. Sarah fidgeted, uncomfortable with wearing a nightgown. They were silent for a bit, and he kissed her gently before pulling her closer to him. She gasped, not used to sleeping with someone else and sharing a bed, and he kissed the top of her head to reassure her.

"Severus, how can you live with this?" she asked, and he raised an eyebrow. "I mean, look at me! I've got scars on my body…"

"That makes two of us," he said gently. "Your scars are beautiful, just like you are, my love. Yours are from medical battles that you've fought bravely and won. Mine – mine are from mistakes at Death Eater meetings. Becoming a Death Eater was a mistake, my whole life up until the end of that war was one giant mistake after another, and me trying to make things right."

"But yours _are_ beautiful," she objected. "You worked for those! You were the spy in the war, and each scar represents a time that you could have been killed but lived to tell the tale and help more to complete the war like the hero you are!"

"I think you fail to recall that I killed and tortured people," Severus reminded her darkly.

"Yes, because you had a part to play to further the war efforts," she insisted, and vaguely felt him getting hard. "You – do you want it?"

"Not until you're ready," he said firmly. "I won't rush you. I've waited this long, I can wait more."

"No," she whispered quickly. "I – I'm scared, but… but I know you. You won't hurt me intentionally, I know it. I – I've never done anything like this at all, not even close. Not even in my dreams…"

"Well, then we'll take our first time slowly," he said gently. "If I'm hurting you at all, I want you to tell me, understand? We don't have to do this until you're ready. Would you rather wait a few days?"

"I don't know," she smiled sheepishly. "I feel like a hormonal teenager."

"It's fine, dear," he smiled. "As you said, this is your first experience with sleeping alongside the opposite sex, of course you're going to be nervous."

After that, the two were silent, him slowly drifting off to sleep while she lay beside him unable to close her eyes for more than five seconds. She could feel his arms wrapped around her ribcage and decided that the best option for hers was to explore her husband's torso. She was careful not to wake him as she caressed different scars, but she knew by the looks of some that they were from a past that was long ago in this very house. Her in-laws were long-since dead, she knew that, but it still didn't stop her from wondering what her mother-in-law would be like if she were here. Crazy? Loving and caring? Indifferent? She knew her father-in-law would be violent, and she could easily have reciprocated that cruelty right back into his face with pleasure. Severus would have conjured up a bowl of popcorn for it.

She smiled and put her hand on a newer scar on his throat, left over from where Nagini had attacked him. It was by far the most gruesome of them all, but also the one that she favored the most. He had had to fight for his life and this one was just like all her surgery scars, in a way. He moved in his sleep, and she froze, not wanting to wake him up. She stayed up in a like manner for a bit longer, and eventually let herself drift off into a much-needed sleep.

To her astonishment, she was on top of Severus when she awoke, his body hot and hard. Her ear was on his chest and it was his jack-hammering heartbeat that woke her up when it had picked up the pace. She looked him in the eyes, but failed since his were closed. She could feel his body heat seeping into hers, alongside his excitement. Her own breathing and heartbeat picked up the pace. Severus groaned in his sleep, and she felt his arms squeeze her closer to him, pushing her against him. She sighed through her nose – some things never change, did they? She took a chance and lifted herself up to look at his chest.

"Like what you see?" he asked, looking down at her pretenting to be groggy when he'd noticed she was awake otherwise, putting on the perfect show. He'd wanted to see how she'd react to waking up on top of him, and it was when she lifted herself up that he caught her peeking at his bare chest red-handed.

"Good morning to you too. And yes, I am quite enjoying the view of your bare torso," she grinned. "Are _you _enjoying the view?"

"Very much," he replied shifting himself and realizing his predicament. "Ah, I apologize. Crap."

"Don't, it's only natural when you sleep with your wife for the first time, I think," she replied silkily yet stiffly. "Let's put all this hormonal junk behind us and get going. Shall we?"

"I don't know," Severus drawled. "You're stunningly beautiful and it would be such a shame to lose such rare feminine beauty like yours when it's so easily obtained in my grasp, just mere millimeters away. But, for you, my love, I will wait. It will be difficult, but I'll wait."

"We – I mean, I – I – we _could _try," she stammered quietly as she ran a finger over one of his scars. "I'd prefer you to be soft for my first time, but…"

"I don't think that'll happen either," Severus agreed. "Don't worry, I'll be as gentle as I can, I promise, if you do want it."

Her legs clamped around his hips in response, her original intent to seclude her feminine areas, but failing fearfully. She was quiet now, an unnatural response from her in Severus' opinion, which he took as a no. he sat up, startling her when she landed on his length. This one accident seemed to trigger something deep within her and she put her hands on his shoulders tensely and nodded. His eyes widened, and he smiled softly at her willingness to put her own fears aside and trust him with everything she had left. He realized what issue would likely show up, so he gently got up and placed her on the bed, kissing her and promising to be right back after closing off the Floo Network in the living room.

OoOoOoOoO

Sarah awoke groggily to a growling stomach at about dinnertime, and immediately noted that the room she shared with Severus was a mess. All his clothes were accounted for but one – his long, white shirt. She smiled at him knowing how to please her and put it on, not at all surprised that it went down past her hips and long past her wrists. She padded downstairs into the kitchen and immediately smelled a rare food that she hadn't had in a year – Ramen noodles.

"Good evening," Severus greeted with a smirk as she got herself a large cup of water. Sarah noted that he was wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very," she smiled softly. "oh, dear, it runs _right _through you…" she whined as she quickly flitted out to the restroom to relieve herself.

"I hope you don't mind that I, ah, used Legilimency on your father to get his secret recipe," the potions master greeted when she returned. "I had noticed that you were missing your family's cooking somewhat while I was over there at Christmas, so I decided to get some of their recipes when they weren't looking or in the kitchen. It was quite fun to hide in the laundry room and write down or copy recipes in the middle of the night."

"I'll bet they never found out," Sarah grinned as she sat down. "Oh, that hurts. Great Slytherin…is it always like this afterwards?"

"I wouldn't know," Severus reminded, "you were my first."

"Really?" Sarah asked appalled. "I never would have guessed. Surely nobody tried flirting with you?"

"Umbridge did," Severus scowled as he dropped the eggs in. "But she was making me nauseated just by breathing the same air as her in the same room. No, I _almost _used the Cruciatus curse or the Imperius curse to get her to leave me alone, but I instead resorted to more sneaky methods."

"Amortentia spiked chocolate with a picture of a different guy in a letter," Sarah grinned, and he chuckled as he confirmed her suspicions. "That's ingenious, Severus. Let me guess, Filch?"

"Sev, if you like," he smiled. "I've never been able to open up this much since Lily. Yes, it was Filch."

"That's just plain evil!" Sarah cackled and laughed. "You wonderfully horrible man!"

"And yet you love me anyways," he smirked as he poured the noodles into a couple bowls.

"Sev, I hope you don't mind, but… the way I'm used to eating is with Chopsticks, and the louder the noodles are slurped means the better the food is. Is…that alright?" she asked, and he stared at her before sighing and shaking his head as he sat down.

"Alright," he moaned as he set the chopsticks he'd been cooking with in front of her and picked up a fork for himself. "However, you will take me back to meet your family once it comes time for your birthday, do you understand? I want to see the looks on their faces when they figure out you're alive and married to a man who's probably older than your father."

"It's not like they can do anything about it," she teased between loud slurps, "They're just a bunch of Muggles, some worthy of being called filth while others worth treating as equals. However, I _do _like my seclusion after a while, even at family outings. Speaking of which… I know a way that we can get _nobody _to bug us while getting out of the country."

"Fayetteville in that state you used to live in?" Snape asked, and she nodded while slurping yet another bite extremely loudly. "I don't see why not. However, I refuse to go anywhere with a multitude and mass of children!"

"It's the second Monday tomorrow, right?" she asked, and he nodded skeptically. "Good. Then we can go to Anime Club. I'd been begging my parents to let me go or to take me up, but they always kept saying "no, not unless you'll pay for the gas and shopping trip", even though the club never went shopping. Anyways, what I'd like to see is the looks on their faces when _they _figure out I'm alive."

"Fine," Snape sighed, "But I refuse to wear anything to do with those Japanese shows. Unless…of course. Can you think of a character that I can portray without dying my hair?"

"Orochimaru," she grinned widely. "All we need is the right pair of colored contacts, clothes, the ninja sandals, and purple eye shadow – all of which except the latter can be obtained by transfiguration. It's simple, and I'll go as one of his followers since I've already gotten that costume at…that place… made from scratch."

"Or," he smirked, "I could go as me, and you could go as a Slytherin student. We've already gotten the clothes for it and ready."


	22. Day Two

Chapter 22 – Day Two

"This is madness," Sarah beamed, "But I love it!"

"Only you," Severus scowled as he carried his things alongside her to the apparition point. Sarah was beaming as they shrunk their luggage and put it all in their pockets just before apparating.

The minute they landed, Sarah took a long deep breath through her nose, knowing that if it was the right place, it would smell like home. Severus watched for a bit, and she opened her eyes to her surroundings just as he began looking around them. They were standing in a gazebo just outside a very tall, dull brown brick building that looked like it hadn't been properly washed above the seventh floor since the dawn of time. Severus smirked at all the bird poop and began surveying the rest of the surroundings. There was a hill nearby that lead down to a parking lot, and another that led upwards to an intersection. Sarah was already leaving the gazebo, and so he followed her with the safe assumption that if she knew where they were she'd lead him to her destination.

And lead she did. She walked up the hill to the intersection, whispering to cast a notice-me-not charm while in public, which he happily did so as not to attract attention. She warned him that they were going to a library, which would sometimes be very busy in the summer, but would be a little less busy during the teen activities that she'd emailed that she'd wanted to sign the two of them up for. Severus sighed as he followed and walked a block to the east of the tall brown building, and noted that if there were a tornado, that library would be royally screwed over because of all the glass on it. She led him through the automatic doors and café, and put her hands on her hips grinning broadly as they reached the lobby.

"So, where to now?" Severus asked, and she gave him a quizzical look.

"Hm…Do I want the children's desk or teen section first? Eh, I think I'll pay a visit to Shay, Hotspur and Kena," she grinned, "I just hope there aren't too many little kids around today. But, at least their parents are required to keep an eye on them."

Severus sighed, knowing he was better off silent for now. He had to jog to keep up with Sarah when she darted ahead and cast a notice-me-not charm on herself. She grinned evilly, looking at the clock. Five o'clock, Anime time, she muttered and headed for the bathroom. They completely ignored the fact that she was getting stared at while they left the Children's bathroom (she'd undone the notice-me-not charm), and to his surprise she was met with a male librarian.

"Renate," he gasped. "You look like a ninja!"

"That's the point Hotspur!" she laughed as she hugged him, "Dear, why don't you come on out?"

"I'll pass," he scowled. "I'd rather just get going to the Club you were begging me to go to."

"Scaredy-cat," she smirked. "You just don't want to get ambushed because you married me."

It was to Hotspur's surprise that Severus dropped the charm, and he just about jumped out of his skin when he saw the potions Professor. Severus sneered, and Sarah couldn't help but laugh as Hotspur started quaking in his tennis shoes. She gave him a warning glance, to which the ex-Death Eater stopped glaring daggers at the librarian. Hotspur was staring at the two, trying to put two and two together, shell-shocked that Sarah was alive, and married no less!

"How long have you two…?" he asked, looking between the two.

"We've been married for two days," she grinned. "And I had run away to London to get away from Conway, with his help of course. I had to cram eight years of Private school into one and a half, which wasn't an easy feat. He was my private tutor, and…well… the rest is history. I guess I figured out I was in love with him a few days before Christmas."

"Sarah," Severus said, "Club."

"Ah, follow me," Hotspur smiled. "Knowing you, you want to scare them, Sarah. So, to help you two with that, I'm going to let her in through a different door."

"Ooh, then you can join after I announce that I'm married," Sarah laughed quietly. "You know me very well, Hotspur!"

He unlocked the door with a grin, going in and telling Kena that he had a summer surprise for the Club that the library had managed to get its mitts on. Kena looked at him skeptically, and he smiled as he withdrew and let Sarah in. Snape listened in horror as squeals of excitement resounded from the other teens, and Sarah was soon laughing. He was slightly amused by the fact that some of the other teens were screaming about zombies and returning from the dead, and had a mind to go in there and silence them.

"Hey, guys, I have an announcement!" Sarah called out, "But I need you to sit down before I can say it."

Severus listened as numerous chairs vanished from under people's bottoms, no doubt some of them were getting rowdy, and Sarah began laughing before they all settled down.

"What's the announcement, Sarah?" one female asked.

"Kena, Anime Club, the announcement is that I'm now married as of two days ago. Before you question me! He is here as well," she grinned opening the door to let him in. "There's a reason I dressed as a Sound Ninja." Severus walked in to find the club staring at him in shock. "I'd like you all to meet my husband, Daemon Epans."

They sat in shock for a while longer, and Severus could have sworn he heard crickets chirping. After a bit, Kena, the only other adult in the room, regained her composure and welcomed him warmly. After a bit, Sarah smiled and looked at Severus, who was dressed like Orochimaru so as not to draw attention to them and give them the impression that they were indeed witch and wizard. He had to admit, though, that her idea was better since it didn't blow their cover. She smirked, knowing that anyone in the Magical London would pay _big _money to see a picture of Snape with eye shadow on. He was scowling, but at the sight of her laughter he smirked to please her.

He refrained from talking, and was rarely brought into the conversations, but Sarah was hyper more than ever around this group of friends, and he suddenly realized why she hated her family and their location choice. She liked being able to be herself, and she couldn't do that around them at all, and more so in public in that town since the society there pushed everyone to be the same without thinking hardly at all. He smiled that these people understood her so well, and looked to his left when the normal entry door opened to reveal three punk-teens who were dressed in a very Goth fashion. One was female, one male, and one undeterminable. Three more followed in five minutes later, all female, and the six of them stood shell-shocked staring at him first, then Sarah.

"Zoe! KayKay! Jazmin!" she gasped and ran to tackle them one by one, "And Sebastian and Sora? Stacey?"

"What are you doing here?" Sora half yelled. "How are you alive, damn it!"

"Language, young lady," Severus growled darkly in his best Orochimaru voice. "We wouldn't want to wake up with a snake in our bed." Sora gulped and the six newcomers stared in shock as Severus wrapped his arms around Sarah.

"Oh, guys, this is my husband, Daemon," Sarah said kindly. "Daemon, this is Zoe, Sebastian, Sora, Jazmin, KayKay, and…Stacey, I think."

"Nice to meet you," the trio of girls chorused while the first trio stared at him. "Um, how did she get you to dress like Orochimaru? You _do _know he's like, fifty in the show, right?"

Severus nodded and scowled at them, giving them his best death glare, which they immediately backed away from. The rest of the time in the club passed uneventfully, with Severus sipping apple juice and Sarah snacking on Graham crackers for the most part. Finally, at eight o'clock, it was time for them all to leave and she promised them she'd email them now that she'd gotten the okay from her Private school.

One had protested, but she had explained that this private school was a University that gave you an offer only once, and if you didn't accept it within the month, you lost it permanently with no chances of appealing unless there was a medical excuse. Severus had smirked, his eyes twinkling in pride at his little wife, and for a brief moment she looked very pregnant to him. He shook his head slightly to clear it, and she was back to normal. He grumbled under his breath about the food in this country, and Sarah smiled as she took his arm and they left the library. He frowned, realizing they had nowhere to go in Fayetteville, and she looked at him with the same confusion.

"Ah," he said, remembering his old hideout. "I completely forgot. Come, my love, I just so happen to have illegally acquired a house here in the states…"

He led her away into the gazebo, then apparated to the house that he'd spent so much time cleaning out. He explained that he'd cleaned it out and repaired it while he'd been here the first time, coming back for more repairing and updates as he returned for various reasons. He led her in, and she gasped in shock. It smelled almost like lemons and limes, with an undercurrent of Severus, and he had completely remodeled the wallpapers and floors. It was just as she'd remembered it from her childhood, but the trace of being destroyed that her parents had spoken of was completely gone and untraceable. Mold and Mildew were things of the past, and the house was enchanted to keep insects out. He looked at her, hoping that it met with her approval, and she gaped around her.

"Oh, Sev, it's wonderful! How'd you fix it?" Sarah gasped. "Mom and Dad said it was destroyed!"

"It took a few repairing and cleaning spells," he smiled. "And a very long time to get the smell out, I can tell you that. Come, it's even already furnished."

"You didn't!" she gasped, and he laughed and shook his head before turning her to face something that she recognized: her terra cotta replica. "You grabbed all of my old things from my old bedroom! Oh, Sev! Thank you so much!"

"All for you," he smirked evilly. "All for you. Now, if I'm not mistaken there are three bedrooms here, meaning that you could remain here and not have to pay anything on the house if you'd like…"

"No, I like the house, but…it's too close to family. _Way _too close to family for comfort. No, I think I'd like a three bedroom house in England, if that's okay with you," she said gently. he smirked, knowing that she'd win the argument.

"You're in luck," he smiled. "I bought the deed off of your aunt by using…how shall I put this? Blackmail, and I told her that if she sold me the house, I'd tell her your whereabouts."

Severus went on to explain that after she'd sold it to him, he told her that Sarah was in an England private surrounded by other teens that were troubled and wouldn't be getting out for a long time due to her rash behavior about running away. He had told her that the school was so isolated it was unreachable unless you taught or studied there. Her aunt had looked dismayed, but it explained how the family knew that she was alive. He'd also explained that mail was usually screened and checked before it was sent to the students, and usually picked up by someone who was on staff for the holidays and that birthday presents would have to be opened alongside Christmas ones.

Sarah sighed in dismay, but then realized what they could do. It was risky, but the duo eventually managed to get all of her things together, box it all up, place said boxes on a pallet with most of the heavier ones on bottom and the fragile ones on top, and shrunk said pallets to fit inside of the eight drawers in her writing desk. Severus smiled, knowing that this was her best plan yet. What things she didn't want to keep, she packed away inside of her dresser, which they'd also planned to pack and wrap with plastic tape. Severus cast a protection spell on the two wooden items and the two stalked out into the night to peek in at the basement of her grandfather's house.

"We're so dead meat if someone catches us," she smirked as he tapped the lock and opened the door to the crawl space. "Eyew, spiders."

Finally, after hours of hunting all her old things down from her childhood, they moved all of her things back to the desk drawer like all the other things that she wanted to keep. The only remaining place to go to that still held some of her things was a storage unit, but Sarah quickly wrote out a kidnapping note that told her family that if they ever wanted to see her alive again they'd move all her things from the storage unit into the abandoned house. It had taken a while, but they finally wrapped the desk in plastic wrap that was usually used for wrapping sales products on pallets in stores. The dresser was soon followed in a like manner, and the two items were immediately packed in a duffel bag of Sarah's that had an extension charm and a feather-light charm on it. Once they were done, they were more than happy about their antics, and apparated back to Spinner's End to finish packing their things.


	23. Summer's End

Chapter 23 – Summer's End

Sarah smiled as they finally finished unpacking the last box of her things into the Prince Manor. Severus had gone to the Ministry to prove that it was rightfully his by lineage, and they had moved in during the fourth of July holiday week, making careful precautions to be busy the entire day of the Sixth. July had soon passed without the slightest hint of a problem, and the couple happily celebrated Sarah's twentieth birthday in August. Come September first, however, they were apprehensive about leaving to go to Hogwarts, even though Minerva had let Sarah move in with Severus in his Private quarters.

Sarah listened half-heartedly during the sorting, noting that most people again went into Gryffindor or Slytherin because of the four famous war heroes, and she smiled ruefully at Midna, who was staring at her from the Slytherin table.

"Yes, welcome back!" McGonagall said warmly. "We have two new changes in staff this year. Please welcome Mrs. Hermione Weasley as Arithmancy Professor! We also have Mrs. Sarah Snape returning from last year to begin her apprentice-ship as a Potions Mistress or Mediwitch now that she has received her NEWTs! However, that will have to be put on hold if our new Defense Professor, Harry Potter, does not show up tomorrow or the next day. I shall substitute until we have word from him, and if he doesn't come, Mrs. Snape will take over for Defense. That is all."

The Great Hall became a burst of excitement as the food appeared and gossip was exchanged. Most of which, the two Professors Snape knew, was about them. Midna came rushing up to give Sarah a hug, which the startled woman accepted graciously. Severus scowled, and Sarah playfully admonished the second-year to go back to her seat. She smirked, knowing that if she wanted to become head of house she had only to ask Severus to join together. It would make a nice change of pace, as well as give her the feeling of motherhood that she'd been longing for during the recent month and a half. She gasped, dropping her fork in shock and counting backwards in her food.

"Sarah? Love, what's wrong?" Severus asked, and she paled and held up a finger. "Love?"

"Severus… I think… I think I need to see Poppy after dinner," she whined, her brow furrowing in confusion and worry. He was immediately alert, knowing how much Sarah detested the hospital wing and that if she was saying that, it was dangerously bad and possibly life-threatening. "I…I'm not sure, but… I think… I think that it might be the slight possibility that – that I'm – that I'm – that I'm pregnant."

Severus dropped his jaw and fork in shock, causing most of the other teachers to look over in worry, Minerva among them. Sarah shook her head, and Severus noted that her eyes were getting distant, and that she looked as pale as him. Without warning, she scampered from the room with him hot on her heels, racing up to the nearest restroom.

"What's wrong?" Poppy asked as she hurried downstairs. "Minerva sent a patronus saying that Sarah left the feast early. What'd you do now?"

"I…don't know…" Severus murmured and the Mediwitch went into the bathroom. He paced outside like a caged animal, his nerves on edge. Five, then ten minutes later, the two witches finally reappeared, one shocked one worried. "Sarah…"

"A word, Severus," Poppy said immediately. "Sarah, drink those potions and go straight back to the feast, no exceptions. Now."

"Poppy, what-?" he began, but she shook her head. He cast a powerful muffling and silencing charm around them and scowled.

"Severus, don't panic," Poppy admonished. "She's fine; flustered, but fine. It's just a simple hormone imbalance that will settle itself out the next time the two of you have intercourse. I recommend waiting a couple weeks to see if her time doesn't come, and if it doesn't, well, do with her as you please. Now, if I'm not mistaken, we _both _need apprentices. Perhaps she could become the mediwitch and brew the potions during the summers?"

"Oh, thank god," Severus sighed, resting his head against the wall. "She nearly gave me a heart attack when she told me her suspicions. Probably gave half the Great Hall heart attacks too just by making me panic. The way the students were acting at my reaction would make one think that the apocalypse was upon us."

"The way you are, they would have that reaction to you showing emotion, you almost-heartless dungeon bat," Poppy snapped and smacking the side of his head. "Now get back to the feast, before the apocalypse really does come for your Slytherin brats."

"Poppy, would you – how do you tell if a woman really is or isn't… you know… pregnant?" Severus asked, and the witch smiled and almost laughed. "It's not funny."

"No, but coming from you, it is," she snickered, "One method is their lack of menstrual cycle, the monthly bleeding. Another method, since as you can see from tonight that one has issues with hormonal imbalances, is their nausea in the second and third months alongside some aches and pains, as well as some flu-like symptoms."

"Merlin's beard," Severus muttered. "I don't think I'll survive this year without landing in the Hospital wing, Poppy."

"Yes, it does seem that way, doesn't it?" she smiled. "Be careful, I hear you have NEWT level students up first thing tomorrow."

Snape swore as they removed the charms on the hallway and headed back to the feast. It passed in more calm than usual, and he welcomed the feel of getting to terrorize the first years with the rules of the Slytherin House. Sarah was still awake, and worried about the next day's schedules.

"Severus, I think we need to borrow the headmistress' pensieve," she fretted. "Something tells me we're going to need it tomorrow, and that something will somehow go wrong. I think it's best that we protect all your memories of – of us, and – and of the end of the war. We'll definitely want to bottle the one up about you being freed from Azkaban by the Wizengamot – that one is a must-protect, alongside our wedding."

"Fine," he grumbled and they headed to the headmistress' office. She looked worried at the two, questioned them, and sighed with relief at the diagnosis that was given for Sarah's dizzy spell and sudden nausea. Remarkably, she wholeheartedly agreed with them that the memories should be protected.

"I think it's a grand idea, Severus," she argued when he protested, "She's just watching out for your best interest, and we all know that a female's intuition can be right on the nail sometimes, especially when it comes to the mothering type of women like Sarah is. I think she'd make a wonderful mediwitch, but that is beside the point. Severus, if you don't put those memories in the penseive, I will personally endeavor to ensure that you do."

"Why is it that women always gang up on me?" Severus growled as the animagus pulled out Albus' old penseive. "What memories – aside from the outcome of the war, my being freed by Wizengamot, and our wedding – do you want me to put in?"

He brought the memories to the surface of his brain, tapped his temple with his wand, and carefully removed the memories that he'd spoken of one by one and labeled them with a one or two word description and the date that they occurred followed by the current date. He removed a memory that he knew Sarah would kill him if he lost, and again placed it in a bottle to place it beside the bottles that he was removing and filling up with his memories. His proposal to Sarah, his calming her after her nightmare, his rescuing her from her former life as a Muggle (those two were rather long as he didn't want to miss any part of her explanation and his rescuing her), her being sorted into Slytherin house, her testing out of her OWLs, and her worrying late at night about the NEWT classes were all removed and put into separate bottles just like the others. It had taken an hour and a half, but it was worth it – his most treasured memories were safe from any kind of harm, even though it made him feel very empty to be without them.

"So," she smiled. "Shall we go to bed?"

"Yes," he sighed in exhaustion. "We've got NEWT class to teach first thing tomorrow, and I'd really rather be on my toes for those hooligans. Thank you, Minerva."

"Come back for them if nothing happens before the end of the week, Severus," she smiled, and Albus' eyes lingered over the Slytherin couple as they left. "Albus, do you really think something will happen in Potions tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid that it's a distinct possibility," he said worriedly, "Sybil gave another Prophecy just after Umbridge fired her. Would you care to hear it?"

"Yes, please," Minerva said worriedly. "I at least want to know what I'm up against."

"_Two star-crossed lovers long have been told, their love coming through many stories of old. In most times they failed, and always were parted. The other soon always died broken hearted. This time the two will reunite, as adult and child in the dark of the night. If the two fail to prepare, they will forever be lost in despair. One will forget the other, the second one beg. But the forgetter will forget their changed ways, and forever more their love forgotten. The only hope for the two shall be, is if they prepare with device to let one see. If the two shall again fail, then their souls, and so many more, will rot in an eternal jail."_

"That is very disturbing, Albus," Minerva said after a few minutes. "And you're sure it's them?"

"I'm fairly certain, my dear," he said sorrowfully, "And I believe that this time tomorrow, our Severus will be in the hospital wing in need of his memories and the penseive."

"Sometimes I wonder how you managed, Albus," she scowled, "Severus, what do you think?"

"Does it look like I give a rat's ass, you useless cat?" the Severus portrait scowled. "Just because I was headmaster here for a year doesn't mean I'm supposed to be on the bloody office walls, damn it!"

"Come now, Severus," Albus scolded, "You're probably the best candidate for Deputy Headmaster should something happen to Minerva."

"I'd rather be teaching Transfiguration," she sighed. "Horace could teach Potions, and Severus should be the headmaster. He at least knew how to keep most of the students in line much better than you did. I don't think we'd hardly even need Filch for terrorizing at all if Severus were in charge."

"Which is why I'm not anymore, thank god," portrait-Severus groaned. "That was hell trying to balance out being a spy as well as Headmaster, even _with _the Ministry on my side because of Voldemort. No thank you, give me a Potions classroom filled with dunderheaded Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students any day before I take back being headmaster."

"You realize who the brunette was, right?" Minerva asked, and the portrait scoffed.

"Of course, I'm not a dunderhead like Weasley! It's obvious that she is my wife somewhere down the road after I was stuck in this portrait," he half-yelled. "I still don't get how I married her in the first place! It makes no bloody sense!"

"Perhaps the new Severus could enlighten him," Albus said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Merlin's bloody blue balls, Albus! Get your mind out of other people's business and lives!" portrait Severus yelled angrily, sticking around in his portrait only because the office portraits could only visit their other portraits elsewhere. "Leave me the hell alone, you manipulative old codger!"

As she went into her quarters, Minerva McGonagall sighed and cursed Tobias Snape for using such foul language, which his son was now using without so much as a hint of restraint, when Severus was a small child.


	24. Snakes and Lions

Chapter 24 – Snakes and Lions

"Sir, I was wondering if I could try this potion. I know it's risky a little, sir, but I feel like I can do this without messing up! You said so yourself that I was almost as good at Potions as you were when you were my age," a sixth year Slytherin boy who'd been prefect last year requested, and Severus nodded an affirmation without even looking at the Potion. He didn't care – so long as it didn't blow up.

"Just don't let it kill anyone," he said absent-mindedly, his mind back onto Sarah, who had taken to scrubbing cauldrons to ensure that she wasn't sprayed with any kind of potion, and she was all the way across from him on the Gryffindor side of the room.

"Severus, could you at least _pretend _to care about what your students do?" she huffed as she returned from the inside of the extremely large cauldron. "I mean, seriously, you're not letting me brew anything just because of a dizzy spell I had last night, but you don't have the heart to exercise worry over sixth years who want to try dangerous potions? That's just wrong, love."

"It's my classroom, and I'll run it how I want, _princess_. That was what Poppy told me to do since she didn't want you to be holding a knife or making a potion should you have another dizzy spell like last night," Severus snapped.

"Fine," she grumbled as she went back to scrubbing the inside of the cauldron. She was completely surrounded by them now, with them making an iron fort of sorts to shield her from anything that could possibly explode. "And to think I used to wonder why nobody had a desire to marry you before me. you can be such a heartless bastard when you want to be."

"I'll take that as a complement," he smirked. "Now get back to work. Any news on your scores yet?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure I failed it all," she scowled, "Just like I do every time I take a test for finals, in case you hadn't noticed."

For the next hour, the only sounds that were heard were the cauldrons and potions bubbling as the students brewed, Sarah's scrubbing the inside of the overly-large cauldron (which the students could have sworn he had her scrubbing for protection from disaster), and his own quill running across paper as he made the upcoming plans for the coming months for their class and others. A slight scampering was heard, followed by a loud hissing. Sarah ducked deeper into the cauldron, half-burying herself in fear, knowing that Severus was going to lose his temper real quick for the kid's prank. Sure enough, Severus' eyes widened as he looked up and saw whose Potion was hissing.

"Wormwood, MOVE!" Snape shouted as he shielded the astonished ex-Prefect. He shoved said sixteen-year-old out of the way just as the potion exploded all over the two of them.

Soon, the two were howling in pain, and Sarah froze in fear, knowing that if this was happening he was being tortured fiercly. He hadn't yelled in pain when the Cruciatus curse was used on him by Voldemort or Death Eaters (she'd watched that memory with horror at his demand the night before), he hadn't reacted this way when Nagini attacked him (not that he could if he wanted to because of his throat), and he most definitely hadn't reacted this way during their love-making on the first night of their marriage.

"Don't just stand there, do something," she said jerking up and taking charge. "Oh, Kami… Oh no… someone – I don't care who – go get the headmistress! Someone else go get Madame Pomfrey! Now!"

"Yes ma'am!" they said as a good number of Slytherin and Gryffindor students scampered off in unison and terror. Sarah raced over to Severus' side and kneeled next to him.

"Severus? Severus, can you hear me? Severus!" she said loudly, trying to get over his agonized screams of pain, which had all the students quaking in their boots. Who could blame them since the emotionless Potions master was now writhing in pain on the floor? "Oh, Kami, this is bad. This is very bad. Come on, brats, hurry up and get Poppy and Minerva…"

"Mrs. Snape?" one student asked, and she looked up startled. "Oh, god, somebody go get help!"

"no," she murmured, her world spinning once more. "oh, Kami no, not now! No, no…no…"

Her world almost faded as she felt her cheek collide with the ice-cold dungeon floor and heard a loud bang that was followed by startled footsteps.

OoOoOoOoO

Minerva jumped up in her seat when a bunch of Slytherin and Gryffindor students burst into her office in unison. She immediately knew something had gone terribly wrong, and as did all the portraits, since the two together was a scary thought in and of itself on the best of days. They were all prattling about their Potions master in one way or another, and finally the portrait of said Potions master yelled out for them to be silent, and they obeyed.

"What happened, you blubbering dunderheads?" he growled.

"Accident in the dungeons, sir! You – you're hurt, and… and screaming out in pain and writhing on the floor covered in what used to be a potion, sir!" one Slytherin and Gryffindor sputtered out in unison.

"I told you," Albus said smugly as Severus stared at them.

"Shut up, old sod," Severus scowled. "Don't make me go on another Tobias rant, you know I will. Minerva, you know what to do, we discussed this last night after I came in and borrowed it alongside who you claim is my wife."

"But she is your wife, sir!" a Gryffindor protested, "Her last name was Miss Denning last year when she was a nineteen year old seventh year that you personally trained, and now it's Mrs. Snape!"

"Fine!" portrait-Severus snapped. "Minerva, get to the dungeons. The rest of you, follow her and don't you _dare _go back to your common rooms!"

The mass followed her out, one casting a knowing look at the portraits as they left for the dungeons just as Poppy was leaving the hospital wing after having a very similar conversation with a different group of Slytherin and Gryffindor students.

OoOoOoOoO

"Will they be okay?" one Slytherin fretted, "He was in so much pain, and she – she acted like it had happened before just before she passed out."

"Your Potions apprentice has a medical condition that requires her to have temporary dizzy spells," the mediwitch explained. "She's got healthy vitals for someone who just passed out. It was probably just triggered by another panic attack. No, it's the two who got covered in that potion that I'm more worried about."

"Poppy, the boy was attempting a de-aging Potion. How old is Severus and Mister Wormwood?"

"Hold on, let me check, Headmistress," she murmured before casting a few spells. "Wow, their current ages are exactly half of what they were before they were showered in the Potion. In other words, you're going to need some help to get some of Severus' memories back, he probably won't remember them because of the accident."

"well, then it's a good thing he came into my office last night to protect some of them with the Penseive," she sighed with relief.

"Smart man. How did he know?" Poppy asked.

"He didn't. it was his wife's idea. She kept insisting that she felt that something would go wrong and that they would need to protect his more powerful and life-altering memories. I see now that she was right on the nose," the animagus said shaking her head. "She's got a killer instinct, that Sarah. She'd make a wonderful mother if Severus would let her."

"Which he won't," Poppy smirked. "You know how he hates anyone younger than thirteen, and he hates the teenagers who let their hormones rule their heads. In short, most everyone under age twenty, which leads me to wonder how he wound up with a nineteen year old for a wife. I would never thought of him as a cradle robber."

"it's not robbing the cradle anymore, Poppy," she smirked as Harry walked in. "ah, Mr. Potter, glad you showed up! I apologize for not being in my office as you can see, we had a bit of an accident here and Severus…well, you can figure it out, I'm sure."

"Yeah," Harry grinned. "Portrait-Severus was still trying to put two and two together and kept arguing with Portrait-Dumbledore. I swear, that man has such a colorful vocabulary from his days as a death eater."

"that was from his childhood, actually," Poppy corrected absent-mindedly as she levitated the two Professors Snape onto stretchers. "Hm, should I keep them together, or separate?"

"Separate," Minerva said immediately. "We don't want him killing her on accident before he gets his memories back. And mind your tongue before you give away his medical records, Poppy."

"Sorry," she said as she lifted the eight-year old onto the stretcher. "Well, it's safe to say that both wizards that were covered in the Potion had their ages cut directly in half. Mister Wormwood is eight years old, and Severus is…well…. I'm sure he'd like his age to be private since he's a teacher."

"I'll take over if you'd like," Harry offered, and the headmistress scowled. "Or, I could go back upstairs and teach Defense next hour."

"Class dismissed," Minerva called out as she flicked her wand at the chalkboard, telling the students that classes were cancelled due to a health-damaging Potions accident that backfired. "I just hope he doesn't try to kill her."

"I recommend writing a note to him explaining what happened and why he'll need to trust Sarah without actually explaining why he should trust her aside from the fact that she's his apprentice. Besides, Professor Slughorn might be able to teach if he hears his top two students need his help and can't teach," Harry nodded and the witches looked at him in amazement.

"that is a very fine idea, Potter," she said softly, "And I shall do just that."


	25. Regaining Memories

Chapter 25 – Regaining Memories

OoOo(Sev PoV)oOoO

I groaned as I woke up under the all-too-familiar hospital sheets. No doubt, I took another Cruciatus curse from one too many people at the last Death Eater meeting. Speaking of which, what day was it, and how long had I been unconscious? Why was there a brunette woman sleeping in the next bed over to my left with the curtains surrounding us but not blocking each other from view? And why the hell was my Dark Mark so faded out like he never existed?

This was very confusing. Where was Poppy when I needed her?

I sat up with a little difficulty and looked around once again. Oh, wonderful, a note. Perhaps this could explain a little more. I took it in hand. No. no, this couldn't be right. Surely Minerva wouldn't jest like this!

_Severus,_

_I know things are confusing right now, but you've been hurt by a Potions accident as you were teaching sixth year NEWT classes. To put things bluntly, a de-aging potion went wrong, and you are now most likely wondering why your Dark Mark is so faded. I will have the answers to your plaguing questions in my office, but don't be alarmed when you see the two newer portraits, as it is part of what you don't remember. I will suffice to say that you were on orders to do both deeds by Voldemort and Dumbledore both. Yes, I know, you're confused, but I need you to trust Sarah. She is the brunette in the bed beside yours, no doubt left visible to you for her own sanity's sake by Poppy. She is also your apprentice, and she was the one who guided you last night into protecting your memories of your older life and years. I will know and wake up once you have fully read this letter, so come by my office with Sarah as soon as you can. Sarah knows the password, and I have told the gargoyle not to move for you unless she gives the password. I wish you the best of luck, Severus._

_Minerva McGonagall_

Potions Accident? De-aging Potion? Well, that explained why I couldn't remember anything, sort of. How did she know my Dark Mark was faded? How did she know I had it, for that matter? What the hell was going on here? Two new portraits? New apprentice – I never took one on that I could recall before, so why do so now? Why would I have taken my apprentice's advice to protect my memories? Oh, well, I may as well get this over with and wake the bloody bitch up.

"Sarah. Hey, Sarah," I said shaking her shoulder.

"Hmmn? Severus! Oh, severus, you're awake!" she gasped and hugged me. Wait, hugged? What the hell was going on here? I don't have relationships with my apprentice's! It's unprofessional, and Voldemort would have my hide if I married without his permission and outside the Death eater ranks!

"Get off me and take me to Dumbledore's office!" I snapped. "I don't know why the hell Minerva's settled there, but I'm not about to wait for Poppy to keep harassing me! No, I want answers!"

"Alright, keep it in your pants, geez," she moaned as we both got out of our beds. "Wow, you look so young… I just wish…"

"Less wishing, more leading," I ordered impatiently. This girl was a Mudblood, and a freshly trained one at that. she was powerful, yes, but a raw fighter and not very bright. Who the hell taught this girl?

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

We walked in silence to the headmistress' office, and even the password of "boojhy boojhy boojhy" couldn't fix things. Granted, it would have been funny, if I hadn't felt like I was on a death march. I knew he was confused at his being younger again and not knowing me, but I still couldn't help but love him anyways. We walked in, and he stared at two portraits in particular that I knew he was startled by.

"You may come back by later, Severus," Albus soothed. "Right now, you need to go to my penseive, my boy, and let Sarah show you the memories that the two of you bottled up last night. Don't worry about the other one – he'll come around eventually."

I had to half-drag Severus away from his own portrait, knowing he was staring appalled at what he looked like in fifteen years, and went straight to the penseive. I didn't know how to proceed, and I was worried about messing something up, so I decided to go in chronological order for him. It would be the easiest on his mind, I hoped, and so I set about arranging the bottles by the date that he'd written.

"I wrote these," he noticed. "So, these really are my memories from – from before the accident."

"Yes, we bottled them together," I replied, unable to keep my sorrows from leaking out to him. "Severus, I know you're hurting and confused, but please, please, just hear me out and let me show you all the memories that you bottles up. I know some of them won't be pleasant, but there are others that contain joy so profound, you wouldn't believe that you were so lucky to get it."

"And if I want to stop in the middle?" he asked skeptically. "What then?"

"Once we get to the halfway point, if you want to stop…" I paused, unsure of how to continue. "We'll get there when we get there. Right now, we need to focus. The sooner we get these in your brain, the better, and the more stable you'll be when someone approaches you. First things first – Harry's entering Hogwarts."

"no," Snape snarled. "I refuse to watch that Potter brat's memories!"

"No, Severus, they're all _your _memories," I corrected, on the verge of tears. "Please, please, just trust me enough to watch until he – until he – you want to know why the Dark Mark is so faded? Well, this will lead up to then. It's just one memory at the beginning or end of each of his school years, and I promise we'll be over and well – one is of when you were headmaster."

"_I_ was _headmaster_?" he asked in disbelief. "how the hell did that happen?"

"Just watch all the memories," I sobbed, really close to crying, and I could feel the waterworks coming.

"No, don't cry. Please don't cry. I hate it when girls cry, it makes me sick when an adult woman cries," he said stiffly. "Fine, I'll watch my memories of Potter, but don't expect me to like them."

"I won't," I promised, trying to keep it in. "The memories are in order, I arranged them for you. I – I need to cry. I'll – I'll go and – and cry on Minerva's shoulder if you need anything. Just holler if you do."

"Whatever," he murmured as I left the room. "Stupid crybaby."

OoOo(Sev PoV)oOoO

Oh, joy, the Potter spawn is in Gryffindor, that meant I didn't have to put up with his bullshit! I was almost ready to do a happy dance. Well, if I weren't in front of a bunch of students anyhow. I withdrew, smirking, and pulled out the next memory. _End of Harry's First year, Sorcerer's Stone_.Well, here goes.

I gasped once I withdrew from the memory. So, the brat defeated Voldemort again, huh? Pure dumb luck. Well, I may as well look at all the memories I bottled up for keeping. What the-? Bloody Hell!

_End of Harry's Second year, Chamber of Secrets_.

_End of Harry's Third year, Sirius Black_.

_End of Harry's Fourth year, Voldemort's Return_.

_End of Harry's Fifth year, Ministry of Magic_.

_End of Harry's Sixth year, Dumbledore's Orders_.

_End of Harry's (Seventh) Year, Headmaster_.

_End of Headmaster Year, Nagini_.

End of Harry's Final Year, Celebrating

One day of ten years' worth – Potions & Firewhiskey

Memories of Sarah: Day One (Stalking)

Memories of Sarah: Rescue Part I

Memories of Sarah: Rescue Part II

Memories of Sarah: Blood Lineage and Poppy

Memories of Sarah: Training

Memories of Sarah: Christmas

Memories of Sarah: Graduation

Memories of Sarah: June's Excitement

Memories of Sarah: Moon-bathing

Memories of Sarah: Return to Hogwarts

Memories of Sarah: Penseive Protection

"Well, that explains a lot in a short amount of time," I huffed scratching my neck. "Twenty-Three memories, with no clue as to how long each one is, and Great Salazar Slytherin this is going to be a long night. Well, I may as well get started. Wait, Nagini? No, I need to focus. In order, Severus, in order. You'll get there eventually. Just… take your time."

I picked up the first one labeled for Harry Potter. Joy unbounded, I hoped the child almost dies in this one! With any luck, he'll get near-Death experiences in all of them! But what does Voldemort's familiar have to do with anything? Oh well, all in due time. Good things come to Wizards who wait.

I stuck my face in the penseive, and relived the memory of Potter in the hospital wing for two weeks, and I wanted to scream at those idiot twins who honestly thought they could give him a toilet seat. Really, Poppy would never allow it! Still, I couldn't deny that they had a good laugh and sent others laughing as well at it.

Year two, he almost dies by Basilisk but fails and defeats a Horcrux. Wait, what's a Horcrux again? Ah, yes, a piece of one's soul that's been sealed inside something. I wonder how many Voldemort made.

Year Three, I almost get killed by Remus Lupin (again!) and this time it was to protect Potter, a redhead, and a female. Weasley and Granger were the names, but it never sounded familiar. Huh, they must be his lackeys, just like James had the Marauders. It seems to me that they have a knack for saving the school instead of bullying it, however. Bah, the brats. Although, it appears that I turned into James Potter without realizing it, only without the cruel pranks. Oh well, who cares?

Year Four, the Triwizard Tournament, and he saw the Dark Lord return. Joy, that meant more spywork again, how fun for the older version of me.

Year Five, he charges to the Ministry and gets Black killed. Finally! And at Bella's hand! I must remember to thank her later if she's not dead or in Azkaban…

Year Six… he stole my Potions Book! I should have gotten him expelled for that! he used my Sectumsempra on my godson! Oh, wait, it was an accident… damn, that means I can't kill him. Wait, and I – _I_, Severus Tobias Snape, killed _Dumbledore_? Oh, this was bad. I should be in Azkaban. Unless… I'd have to talk to Portrait Albus.

"Hey, Albus," I said worriedly as I stepped out to talk to him. "Do you mind telling me why I killed you? I haven't the faintest clue…"

"You did it because both he and Voldemort told us to," the Portrait next to Albus said. I swear, he sounded like an older version of me, and looked it, too. Wait a second – that was me! What the hell is going on? When was I headmaster? "Get back to the Penseive and you'll figure out why I'm on the wall. Judging by your question for the old sod, it's the next memory you've got to watch next. Go on."

I trudged back and watched my being named as Headmaster and the near-end of the school year approach. Lovely, the Carrows were here – no doubt dead by a student's hand by now. Oh, no, and I was attacked by Nagini during the final battle! No!

Well, I survived at least. Sad thing was, I had nothing to do, and was only at Potter's Graduation because I was the only one to be there for Draco since Lucius and Narcissa were in Azkaban for ten years. They'd been forced into it, they freely admit it, but still had to pay the minor repercussions because it was either that or death for the two. Draco, however, was given a fine and sent back to live with me after I'd been proven as a spy by – Potter, Granger, Weasley and the Order of the Phoenix? How did that happen? Oh, Dumbledore's portrait, okay. that made sense, so very much.

Wow, ten years of nothing but Potions and firewhiskey. I don't even want to know how bad it was as a spy in those final years of the war.

I stalked Sarah for that long? Wow. And for the love of Merlin, I kidnapped her? Well, she'd been willing, so I guess it's not really too bad since she was desperate to get out anyways. Wow, she was a muggleborn instead of a Muggle, I should have known.

Oh, now this was interesting. I trained her myself and crammed seven years of schooling into one! Now _that _is what I call a prodigy! And the look of pride on her face as she completed her NEWTS was so filling, so … warming and comforting. No wonder she was my apprentice! And… my fiancée? But did I really propose to her like that? How embarrassing! But, at least it made her happy. Crap, looks like I've got a wedding to plan…

Wait, no. I think I'm the happiest man alive! Married to a prodigy that I personally taught! Oh, I think my heart is about to burst! Did we sleep together yet? I hope not – I'm a virgin still, as far as I know!

Well, there goes that plan. So if I lost my virginity that late in life, while she that early… damn it! I was a cradle robber! Crap, the Marauders would _never _let me hear the end of it… if they were still alive. Thank Voldemort and the Death Eaters that they're all dead! Wahoo, freedom from oppression from all sides except the students! It's a wonderful feeling, really. It is. But the bad part is that now I'm hard and I want her now… hm… a sick day, perhaps? I'd have to talk to Minerva about this… once I got my blasted hormones under control, that is. Curses.

Well, back at Hogwarts. Hm, not much this year. Oh, wait a minute – the date on the parchment was two days ago! And… the Penseive Protection… was yesterday? But, this made no sense! Oh, the accident must have happened this morning, then.

"Sarah," I called out, my head spinning. "Sarah!"

"Coming, love!" she called as she raced to my side. "What's wrong? Did you finish them all?"

"Nothing, and yes," I groaned. "I – out. I want out. I – I can't stay here. Not while – not while we still have to cram a year's worth of – of – things!"

"Sh, Severus," she soothed as she put her hand on my cheek. Oh, god, I think I just got even more roused up. She has _got _to stop that. "Baby, it's alright. We've only been married about three months, there wasn't much that you missed out on except for quality bonding time over potions."

"You mean sex?" I whispered, and her face flushed.

"No, no I didn't," she whispered back, obviously embarrassed. "But, um… Oh. Oh, you – oh. Okay, I'll talk to the headmistress. Maybe she can give us a few days off… Kami knows you need it to help get used to being this young again. Would you prefer for me to be training with Poppy so I don't get you roused in class?"

"Yes, that would be lovely," I admitted. "Please do. Hurry, I don't know how much longer…"

"Minerva," she called out. "Headmistress McGonagall!"

"If this is about letting Severus rest and recover," she said scantily as she walked in a few minutes later with a twinkle in her eyes that rivaled that of Albus (Grrr!), "Then yes, you may take as much time off as you need to allow Severus to get used to his younger body again. Perhaps you can burn out a bit more of that youthful steam you didn't have before, eh, Severus?"

"Shut up!" I snapped and flushed at the base of my neck and up towards my hairline. This woman was going to be the death of me, they really were, these two. "Prince Manor, then?"

"Prince Manor? We've been staying at Spinner's End," she said confused. Oops, looks like I forgot about my mother's house. Oh well, better late than never. But, oh, crap, we had to get home before I broke the school rules and slept with her. "Oh, Minerva, could we borrow your Floo for a few seconds? We kind of need to leave as soon as humanly possible."

"Of course," she smiled as she went back to her quarters. Did she know what I was trying to hide?


	26. Floodgates Begone

Chapter 26 – Floodgates Begone!

OoOo(Sev PoV)oOoO

Good god. I finally think that I'm the luckiest man in the world to have married who I did. And then to top it off, she was the perfect match for me in all areas and purposes! Holy crap! Who'd have thought?

Not the students, that's for sure!

"Sev?" she whispered as we climbed back into bed after changing into our nightclothes. It was odd how she never wore a nightgown, but then again she probably didn't feel comfortable in one in America.

"Yes, dearest?" I murmured as I pulled her close. If this was a crazy dream, I don't care! I'm not letting this go!

"I love you," she whispered. "You – it wasn't the same as before but – in its own way, it was perfect."

"I was that bad before?" I whispered. This is horrible!

"No, baby!" she gasped in astonishment. "No, not at all! What I meant was that every time it's different, but you're always perfect in your own special way!"

"Sure you do," I murmured disbelievingly.

"Oh, Sev," she murmured as she sat back up. "If you wanted to know, all you had to do was ask. I've known about this type of stuff since I was … twelve, I believe, if I'm doing my math right. They had a mandatory education course over this. Needless to say I still was forced to learn a lot of crap even though I never paid attention to most of the garbage in there. It still doesn't mean I didn't learn how to. They taught us the different parts for the guys and girls, and well… I put one and one together to get two."

"Damn! Where the hell did you go to wizardry school?" I asked in disbelief. "America?"

"Actually, yes," she retorted lightly, "It was Muggle schools though. I didn't know I was a Muggle born witch until you told me when I was eighteen."

"Tell me everything," I murmured. "Tell me everything about you that I will have forgotten because of the potion." Hormones talking or not, I didn't care. This woman was mine, all mine, and I wanted to know as much about her as possible if I was going to live with her for the rest of my life.

OoOo(Sarah PoV)oOoO

I settled onto his chest and began again about my past, this time going into a fairly good amount of detail about my past. I also explained how the ventricular shunt worked so Severus wouldn't get confused, although he did still get baffled by what electronics can do nowadays. I moved on to getting the shunt put in, and then my tonsils taken out at age one. I smiled and told him that at least my finger hadn't gotten rammed in a doorway so that it was almost completely demolished and hanging on by mere sinews. He'd shuddered and began looking at my fingers before I told him that it was what happened to one of my two older brothers before I was born. He calmed down after that.

After I got done explaining my toddler escapades, I went on to tell him of the issues that arose in my teenage years. First off, I started vomiting day in and day out for a week every Christmas vacation since I was eight or nine. At fourteen, it finally progressed on to giving me flu like symptoms, later causing me to lose control of my bathroom privileges (yeah, never thought it'd be a privilege to use a ceramic throne!), and eventually sending me into seizure-like episodes at random hours of the day or night, usually accompanied by the loss of digestive control in the lower regions. One time, I'd even had one in a bathtub, but it was filled with hot water and not to the point where I could drown in it, even if I tried.

I explained that that point was when they went in and first fixed the shunt, then went back in a week and a half later to completely replace it when I told them I was leaking clear fluid from the first incision cite. Admittedly, I'd gone bald for the second surgery, and Severus' look of shock at me being bald made me want to hit him almost. It wasn't funny, I ensured he knew, and explained what had happened once I got back to school. The shunt hadn't bothered me ever since, and probably wouldn't have done so for a few more years if it had been left alone. But, I admit, it is so much more of a relief to have it gone more than anything else in the world.

Thus, I finished school, started college, and was probably kicked out by now for losing my scholarship, and thus I'd come full circle to the point of the day that he'd stalked me. I smiled, knowing how much younger, but just as handsome, he was now. It was odd – I was in love with the older Severus, but this new one was so much closer to my age, it was enticing and awkward. I loved how he was, and the realization hit me – a memory restorative potion!

"Sev, do you think a memory restorative potion would work for you to help you get your memories back, love?" I asked excitedly, and he looked down at me.

"I believe that as long as I took it right before we went to sleep it would help me remember. It's a possibility, yes. you were thinking of that to help me remember?" he asked, and I nodded. "Very well, then. We'll start brewing one tomorrow, but right now I'd really like to get some sleep…"

"Oyasumi," I said, not realizing that he may or may not understand what I was saying.

"Oyasumi," he chuckled.

OoOo(Sev PoV, Dreamstate )oOoO

I looked around me, looking for anything, anyone that would look familiar. Nobody and nothing came to mind, but it was strange. I was watching this through wiser eyes, almost. Scenes began playing in my head, and I winced as I shouted in a much different voice at a boy named "Longbottom" (Frank and Alice's child?) for destroying the fourth cauldron that week. Good god, four cauldrons? Wait, if he was in the class – ah, there he is, Harry bloody Potter. God I hate that child. He'd the reminder of everything I hated as a teen. The Bloody Marauders. You know, I think I'll hunt the remaining one down and put him in Azkaban.

I looked around as scenes of the staff room began playing. Quirinus Quirrel had housed Voldemort on the back of his head? Damn, that was disgusting! Basilisk victims becoming un-petrified, that was always good. Black escaped Azkaban and is free? Oh, good I can kill him. Triwizard tournament – yeegh, I wouldn't want to participate in that. I almost pity Potter Junior for that. Was the new Defense Teacher from the Ministry really that horrible? Good god, no wonder I forced her to be in love with Filch. That was fun!

Moving on.

Blast, my book was gone now. Curses, a pox on you, Potter! This was madness. I was watching and re-watching all the memories that I'd seen in the Penseive, alongside a few that we hadn't. suddenly, as if a dam inside of me had burst, my memories after age twenty-five came flooding back to me. my head felt like it was on fire, and holy crap I wish it would hurry up and die down!

"Severus?" I heard Sarah asking. "Severus, baby, wake up! Severus!"

I opened my eyes to find Sarah leaning over me worriedly, fully clothes and carrying a tray of – noodles?

"Sarah?" I murmured, wisdom beyond my years having returned. "Oh, thank Kami you're not hurt by that potion!"

"you – you remembered?" she asked wide eyed as she placed the tray on the nightstand after I grabbed my wand. I nodded, smirking and feeling almost fifty again. "Oh, Sev, this is wonderful!"

"I think I'll need a few more days off to recover, though," I smirked, but then a though occurred to me that I didn't like. Women liked romance, and I most certainly wasn't that. "I, uh… I promise you that, I, uh…. I _will _try to be at least a little romantic. It's not my forte, my father was abusive, and I never really had any other examples in life. I _will _try though, since… since that seems to be what girls like most."

Her eyes lit up at my statement, and I swear she probably could have been flying freely and not been any happier. "Thank you, Severus. you have no idea how much that means to me. i know you're not too terribly romantic, but bits and snippets every so often will work. Just so long as we try to keep it under wraps in public. We _do _still have our reputations as the dungeon bat and she-devil to uphold," she murmured excitedly.

"Thank you. For understanding," I clarified. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, it's the man's job to do all the working?"

"Not anymore, dearest," she smiled. "In America, there's just as many women working as men, married and single alike. I'm just glad they haven't passed that same-sex marriage law yet…"

"Same-sex marriage?" I blanched. "That's disgusting! What idiot in their right mind wouldn't want to marry someone of the opposite gender?"

"A lot of people I know from Muggle schools are actually homosexual," she admitted. "They were always outcasts, just like me, so we naturally gravitated towards each other. I did, however, endeavor to make sure that they knew I was heterosexual and would remain so for the rest of my days."

I smiled, and turned over as I sat up. Ah, noodles, one of the classic Japanese foods, and she'd even completed the authenticity with chopsticks. Wow, this woman really was a culture fanatic, but that's okay. the more knowledge in this little beauty the better. Speaking of which…

"Accio Sarah's NEWT grades," I said, and she squealed in shock. "Relax, I'm not going to get mad at you for anything. Unless you got below an Acceptable, that is, unless it's History of Magic, I can understand that one."

Potions: Outstanding. I am so proud! I must have done a good job teaching Potions for her to get this!

Transfiguration: Outstanding. Nice job, Minerva! She's probably one happy tabby.

Charms: Outstanding. I'm impressed, all that from the books and a few by me? Nicely studied.

Herbology: Outstanding. Wow, Pomona, yet another good job. Of course, she studied with you for weeks to get it that way. I should ruddy have hoped that she'd do well, but this was a shock.

History of Magic: Outstanding. Holy Crap! Professor Binns wasn't the teacher anymore, was he? If so, he most definitely _cannot _take credit for this amazing feat!

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding. Really? She must be an animal lover, then. I never thought I'd say this, but well done, Hagrid.

Muggle Studies: Outstanding. Again, no surprise since she's muggle born. She'd have gotten an Outstanding on this with her hands tied behind her back.

Astronomy: Outstanding. Ah, good, the dreaded midnight one that I was sure she'd have failed because of the late hours. Wait a minute!

"I – I don't believe it," I murmured, and she immediately started crying. Oh, god, not the waterworks! Not again! "Princess, what's wrong?"

"I failed everything! I know it!" she sobbed.

"No, baby, you did wonderfully," I smiled. "You got all 'Outstanding' grades, I promise! See, look!"

She hesitantly took the piece of paper and began to read. With each line that she read, her eyes began to get wider, and the disbelief on her face more prominent. By the end of it, she was gasping and sitting at the foot of the bed in shock. I couldn't blame her, these grades were better than mine from my school days. Hell, They were better than Granger's, and that was saying something since she was an insufferable know-it-all!

"You did better than I did," I told her. "I'm proud, baby. Well, shall we go out to eat for dinner to celebrate, or take this to Minerva, Pomona, Fillius, and - I can't believe I'm saying this – Hermione – to celebrate?"

"Oh, Sev," she gasped as she started crying again. Thank heavens it was from joy this time. "This is – oh my gosh – holy snakes – this is – oh, I'm so happy!"

She flung her arms around my neck and I smirked. "Then let's go rub it in their faces, shall we? I've got a special mind to rub it in Granger's…"


	27. Foster Parents

Chapter 27 – Foster Parents

"So, why are we all back here, again?" Ron asked. "I mean, it was creepy enough when Snape actually started fighting with someone, and what's all this about a Potions accident that happened?"

"Well, Weasley," Severus explained slowly, "A student attempted a de-aging potion in my sixth-year NEWT classes. Another student added an extra ingredient, causing the potion to explode all over the original brewer and myself. As a result, both his and my ages were cut directly in half. If Sarah hadn't protected my more precious memories in the Headmistress' penseive, she and I would probably have gone insane. Since I watched more than two dozen of my own memories, the rest of them came flooding back over the course of the two days since the accident as a result."

"Wow," Ginny murmured. "That's…yikes. Are you alright, Professor?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Severus snapped. "Unless you're insinuating that you'd rather have me dead from the potion, which I can assure you, will not be happening anytime soon."

"So how does Sarah fit into all this?" the twins asked confusedly. I ruddy well hope she doesn't give birth to identical twins in the future, these two are hell enough, I don't need that at home.

"At first she was my charge, then my student. From there my fiancée, then wife, and now apprentice," Severus explained with his patience running thin. "However, that is not why we're here. Granger, do you recall your NEWT scores?"

"It's Weasley, now, sir," she said bravely with a child on each hip. "And yes, sir, I do. I had two 'Exceeds Expectations', in History of Magic and Ancient Runes, an 'Acceptable' in Potions, and Outstanding in everything else. Why?"

"Because," Severus smiled evilly, "You've been out-done entirely. Sarah got all 'Outstanding' marks."

"That's impossible!" she shrieked back in almost outrage. "Molly, is this true?"

"Yes, dear, it is," Molly Weasley said as she looked at Sarah's grades. "Severus speaks the truth – not a single grade below an 'Outstanding'. I daresay she worked extremely hard from dawn until dusk for these grades, though."

"Actually, from before dawn until long after dusk," Severus corrected. "She started studying for them before Christmas. We completely ignored planning the wedding until after her NEWT exams were completed, and she wouldn't and couldn't focus on anything else, even if she tried."

"I'll bet you're happy with those grades," Ron grumbled.

"Happy?" Severus asked. "Weasley, I'm not just happy with her grades. I'm _proud _of her grades! She made much better grades than you _ever_ did!"

"Now, now, Severus," she teased as she came around the corner, "Let's be nice."

"As you wish," he smirked, "As you wish."

She, along with the entire Weasley family, stared at him, and she couldn't help but smile back at him at his choice of words. As tempted as she was to start quoting things, the fireplace roared to life, and out stepped a much disheveled Headmistress of Hogwarts.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," she gasped, "But Horace has suffered from a heart attack. He's dead. We need you back, Severus. I wanted to give you more time off to let you get used to being young again, I really do, but you're the only Potions Master that I can fully trust. Besides that, we need our Slytherin faculty back on staff."

Severus sighed and put his hands in his pockets. After a few seconds, he nodded and motioned for Sarah to join him. They headed back to Hogwarts, and they got back just in time for dinner. Minerva made the announcement for everyone to be at dinner as soon as possible, and for them not to leave until she made an announcement. About ten minutes in, the Great Hall was filled with students and they were all milling about and trying to figure out why there was no food as of yet. They quieted down when she finally stood to address them, and they were all staring soon first at her, then at Severus.

"As you can see, Professor Slughorn is no longer with us," she said forlornly. "However, Professor Snape has returned after a potions accident de-aged him back to his twenties. Professors Snape were away helping him to get used to being young again, due to insinuating memory issues that have now been resolved. Do welcome him back with open arms, but for now let us take a moment of silence to honor Professor Slughorn's memory."

After the moment of silence, the food appeared, and the hall was once again filled with chatter about their new and, hopefully in attitude as well, improved Potions Master. To nobody's shock, though, he was still wearing black, and the scowl on his face hadn't relented. The couple ate in relative silence, pausing every so often to discuss lesson plans for the upcoming weeks. The next morning was for the first years, much to Severus' delight, and he again gave them the beginning of the year speech he'd been meaning to originally give if he hadn't been de-aged. To his delight, he scared them more now that he was younger and grumpier. Sarah was remarkably steady on her feet, so Severus allowed her to organize his storeroom. She noticed that one was labeled to take to Harry for defense class and entered the classroom just as the students were beginning to duel. Two of them, however, were the grandchildren of Death Eaters and very angry with their new Professor, Harry Potter, Sarah noted, and threw a couple spells at him in unison. The first unison attack missed, hitting a muggle born Gryffindor, but the second unison attack hit their new Defense professor head on and he remained on his feet just long enough to give the two detentions.

"Crabbe! Yaxley!" Sarah shouted, and all students turned to her in fear. "Get your sorry asses downstairs to the Potions classroom right now to tell Professor Snape what you've done! And woe betide you if I find that you dared to disobey me! Lupin! Weasley! Out of the way! Potter, Bones, can you hear me? Harry? Amelia? Hey!"

The two clothes bundles began moving again, and Sarah stared in shock as a two year and eight month old child, and a sixteen month old child began moving in the two sets of robes. Sarah snuck a look, and sure enough, the older of the two was the one that was formerly their Defense professor, while the younger of the two started screaming.

"Heaven help me," Sarah muttered. "Okay, think… um… ah! Reducto!" immediately the two sets of clothing were perfectly fitting on their tiny bodies' counterparts. "Okay, Lupin, Weasley, you two are to take these two to Headmistress McGonagall and tell her that there was another de-aging accident. Hold on and I'll give you a note."

"Thank you, ma'am," they murmured as they each took a tiny body in their arms. "We'll be back."

"Good. The rest of you, get back to practicing. I shall be keeping an eye out over you while we wait," Sarah instructed. "And don't even think about firing off a spell at me, because your Potions Master taught me everything he knew about the Dark Arts and how to counter them and defend from them all! It took me a year to go from the beginner of the first year level to the final and NEWT levels of seventh years, and that was with me making all 'Outstanding' marks on those tests!"

"Yes, ma'am," they chorused. The students were terrified of this new mentor, and their fear was evident in the fact that they did anything and everything she said without questions or qualms. The two who'd been sent to McGonagall returned to class just before the bell rang, and neither hide nor hair was seen of the two Slytherin students.

"Two feet of parchment on why you never combine spells like Goyle and Yaxley did and why you most definitely don't attack a teacher!" she shouted at them and they quickly retreated. She sighed in frustration and sat down behind Harry's desk to take a better look at his notes.

She was interrupted by her husband's voice telling her that Minerva needed them for some odd reason that she wouldn't explain. She sighed and left the classroom, locking it with a lazy flick of her wand pointed behind her. While on the way to Minerva's office, Sarah explained what Yaxley and Goyle had done, and he was by no means shocked that they hadn't come to his classroom. He stared at her in shock at what she'd done, and was determined to get those two in detention.

"You wanted to see us, Headmistress?" Severus asked as he walked in. "Ah, good, their parents are here."

"Yes, but Misters Goyle and Yaxley are nowhere to be found. However, we will let you send them up here to discuss their parental punishment," the animagus said. "Now, I've received a letter from Minister Shacklebolt about a couple in America who continue to insist upon coming to England, bursting into Diagon Alley, and causing chaos. They're Muggles, and they are getting out of hand, and he wants someone to go in there as an animagus to spy on them. Sarah, you have expertise in this field, would you be willing to go?"

"I'd be able to become an Animagus with no questions asked?" Sarah verified, and the headmistress nodded. "Okay, I'm in. Anything else?"

"Misters Yaxley and Goyle will be properly punished according to their parents and Severus' wishes," she replied. "However, that was not the original reason I summoned you. Miss Bones has been taken back home until we can give her a proper re-aging potion or use the correct combination of counter-spells on them. Professor Potter, however, will need a guardian. Severus, you're recently married, could you do the honors to prepare yourself for parenthood?"

"Absolutely not!" he protested, and received a shocked look from Sarah. "I refuse to house Potter! I flat out refuse!"

"Severus, it's only for a month while we work out the remedy," Minerva soothed, "And besides, his wife already has her hands full with three children of theirs. It's not too long, and he's already talking, Severus. Please?"

"You couldn't get me to do it unless someone's life was on the line," Severus snarled. "I hate him! He's…well, almost like his father. Close enough for me not to want to!"

"Would you do it for the man who proved your innocence?" portrait-Albus asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Just do it," portrait-Severus sighed, "the old cat won't take no for an answer, and this will just be one more thing to hold over his head anyways. Maybe you can get his wife to babysit your – our – kids whenever that time comes."

"Huh?" the two pairs of parents asked.

"I'm him," both Severus' said in unison. "I'm simply aged differently because of a Potions accident caused by a dunderheaded Slytherin."

"Severus," Sarah whined, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Fine," Severus groaned. "I want a raise, however."

"Deal," Minerva said quickly, knowing full well that he meant it, and had been teaching more than long enough to deserve one anyways since he was Deputy Headmaster and Head of Slytherin House on the side. "Sarah, stay behind. Severus, I think you'll find a spare bedroom in your quarters has been remodeled to house young Mr. Potter. Good luck."

"Stupid prat," Severus grumbled under his breath. "Where is he?"

"Harry," Minerva called, and the three and a half year old returned to the front room, fear glinting all over his eyes. "Harry, this is your Uncle Severus. He's your mother's best friend, and your godfather as named by her."

"But, Aunt Petunia said not to trust anyone with cloaks like that on," Harry whined. "She said they were all monsters, and that if I stayed with one for too long, I'd go from a freak to a monster."

"Harry," Severus said, his patience wearing thin. "Your Aunt Petunia is dead, as is her whale of a husband. I need you to trust me, as I'm the only other person left to care for you. What your aunt and uncle said was wrong – all of it. You are not a freak, and I am not a monster. We are Wizards, Harry, and I can show you how to better harness your abilities if you'll let me."

"So, you can do freaky things like that, too?" Harry asked, his eyes wide in awe, and Severus pulled out his wand and levitated a teacup, scones and lemon drops, and a plate (not necessarily in that order) over to rest in front of the boy. "Wow! Can you make things vanish on accident? Could you have dyed someone's hair?"

"Yes to both questions," Severus answered. "What you speak of is what we call 'accidental magic', and it is simply your magical abilities manifesting themselves in times of extreme stress or excitement. Now, come, I need to show you to your bedroom, and I'm fairly sure you are in need of a very healthy lunch alongside a nutrient potion…"


	28. From One Animagus to Another

Chapter 28 – From One Animagus to Another

Sarah sat in the headmistress' office meditating for a long time. With no luck whatsoever on her animagus form, she got back up. This was much harder than she thought, and so she pulled out a book that the headmistress had pulled from the library for her aide in her Animagus form endeavors. She sat up, realizing that if she could get an animagus form without questions from the Ministry with this assignment, then so could Severus if she failed, right?

"Hey, Headmistress? What happens if I fail this mission?" Sarah asked worriedly, and the old witch looked up from her paperwork.

"They'll send someone in of their choosing. Why?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm worried. I've got this premonition that something will go wrong. Could – could Severus be my backup and go with me? I'd really rather have partners in all this mess since the location in America that the criminals are at doesn't exactly hold the most pleasurable memories for me. Would that be alright with Minister Shacklebolt?"

"I'll have to ask. Ah, speak of the devil," she smirked as he walked in from her Floo. "Good Afternoon, Minister Shacklebolt. This is Sarah Snape, our volunteer for the mission."

"it's an honor to meet you, Minister," Sarah said sheepishly. "Um…"

"I heard your question already," he said holding his hand up. "Severus may join you, but only if the mission is unsuccessful during the first month. We need spywork to find what their weaknesses are and what they want from us. Since they're causing riots in England, and Wizarding England, then the American Government cannot know of their crimes yet. He will also be permitted to become an animagus without the questions asked. I have already taken the necessary steps to make you a registered one, and the reason we're putting in our logs is to protect your family from criminals, since you're a known target for trouble since your husband is a former Death Eater turned spy. Severus will also have the same reason, and I will register the two of you. I'll need you to report to me with your forms as soon as you find them out, however."

"Oh, thank you so much, Minister!" Sarah gasped. "Thank you! Um, would the couple in question be a woman with curly brown hair and a large chest, alongside a large-gutted man with black hair, by any chance? From Arkansas?"

"Yes! You know them?" he asked.

"My parents," she nodded. "I – I think they're trying to get me back, but of course they can't get back to Hogwarts since we have the Floo closed off from Muggles."

"Ah. So you're concerned about going near them?" he asked, and she nodded as she bit her lip. "Why is that, little one?"

"I – the way they treated me…it was…well, it wasn't exactly abuse, but…neglect, no… they tried understanding me at first, but… ever since I turned eight things just kept going from bad to worse. I- I guess you could say they kept me under their thumbs for so long with so much oppression that when I was finally freed from their rules at eighteen, I didn't know what to do with my life and… and basically became a child in an adult's body. I didn't have a good childhood, so… I guess I'm trying to make up for it now by being who I want to be," she said sadly. "But, it… it's just not the same… I had so many things drilled into my head from a young age, and now that most of those things have been proven false by their actions and by the facts before me… I just…"

"You're confused," Severus said, "You don't know what to do now that you're free and all your beliefs have been uprooted. And, you mentioned that things kept getting from bad to worse. Would this happen to do with what you were saying yesterday about your brothers always making fun of your hobbies and interfering with your privacy? And your parents interfered with your rights to privacy, speech, writings, and assembly, if I'm correct on the first amendment rights, yes?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it all up," Sarah said frowning. This day couldn't get much worse anymore, and she was at the end of her emotional rope. "Can – can I go back to trying to become an Animagus, please, sir? I – I kind of have to fill in for Defense Against the Dark Arts since there was an accident and Professor Potter is now in the Hospital Wing with a concussion. Poppy would have our heads if we went in there – trust me, I tried."

Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded and left with the Floo System. Sarah grabbed the book on Animagi and nodded to Minerva that she was leaving. Severus also nodded before taking Harry down to lunch and Minerva joined them. Lunch passed by in relative silence for the teachers, while the students kept talking amongst themselves about a baby version of Harry on his hips. Severus was at his wits' end trying to drill eating into the tiny Harry, and finally looked him harshly in the eyes and told him that he would never starve him, even if he were dying of hunger himself and the only food that was left was only enough for one person to last a day. Harry had gotten wide-eyed at that, and began eating as much as his tiny body could.

Well, until Severus stopped him. He then proceeded to tell the boy that if he ate too quickly, he'd throw it back up, and that the boy could take as long as he needed to eat. He continued to feed the tiny boy very high calorie food, but was vitamin and protein rich, in attempts to fatten the boy up. When the time came for classes, Severus led Harry down to the dungeons in order to keep the boy from getting into trouble too much. He sat Harry down at a spare desk, set a book in front of him, and ordered the tiny child to read. The boy looked up in confusion, and Severus recalled the boy's age. He thought for a few seconds, and the idea hit him – have the child sit in on Sarah's lectures! But, wait, she was supposed to be working on becoming an Animagus while the children took two-column notes.

Poppy? No, she'd throw a hissy-fit. Minerva would as well. None of the others could, except…

Pomona! She had an apprentice as well! The Longbottom boy! Or there was Trelawney's assistant, the Lovegood girl! Or possibly the Arithmancy assistant, the one that he'd originally referred to as an 'Insufferable know-it-all' throughout her school years, Hermione Granger Weasley. Blegh, the very thought of that last one made his skin crawl, but then again, this _was _his task. Looks like he was stuck with him for the time being. Perhaps if he stuck the child there and had him keep snacking for as long as humanly possible… yeah, that might work!

"Potter," Snape smirked, "Could you… hm… draw something? I'm sure Aunt Sarah would like it if you drew her something. Besides that, I have a class to teach, and I'm sure you'll be a wonderful artist. I'll supply all the papers, pens, and … (I can't believe I'm saying this)… crayons. Could you do that for me?"

"You want me to draw? No – no cooking? No cleaning?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Do you want to clean? Because I assure you, if you are so desperate for cleaning duties-" Snape smirked.

"No, thanks you, sir," Harry said quickly. "I like drawing. I just… never was asked to before. Is new."

"I see. And, the phrase is '_It's _new'," Severus corrected. Harry nodded and began drawing immediately as the students filed in cautiously. They saw the infant Harry, and immediately knew that this was their Defense teacher de-aged.

"Sir? Why is Professor Potter de-aged? What has been causing all these de-aging occurrences?" a brave, yet foolish, Gryffindor said. Rose Weasley, he noted. Ugh, no doubt the child of Ron and Granger.

"Potter is de-aged because two students accidentally hit him with two different jinxes that reacted in the manner to de-age him. The reason I am de-aged is because of a similar Potions accident. In short, be careful of where you step, Miss Weasley, I wouldn't put it past your father to still be a raging dunderhead that he was known to be while he was in my classroom. He barely scraped by on his OWLs for my class," Severus sneered harshly.

She nodded and looked away as he began lecturing, silently thanking every deity known to mankind that this know-it-all knew when to keep her yap shut for the most part. Sarah, meanwhile, also had utter silence in her classroom. She assigned them to read the text, and to write three foot essays about the differences between Animagi, werewolves, and metamorphagi. It was all too easy, since each paragraph could be spent to describe one of each of the three. There were two Weasley's and a Potter in this class, much to her dismay, but at least they kept their mouths shut. She sat on the desk after clearing off enough room, with the exceptions of parchments, choosing to sit on them instead of having to file them away and then hunt them down later. She'd work through the sweat stains, she figured.

She sighed heavily, focusing on finding her animagus form. She continued with no success, and turned to reading the book Minerva gave her. Hm… focusing… that sounded hard for her extremely ADHD mind, unless… focusing and energy potions! It would trip out her ADHD and trip it into a normal method of focusing level. She sat down, again focusing. She remained sitting in the Indian-style, but it just didn't feel right when she went to try to transform. She shifted so that her legs were underneath her. Nope, no luck there either. Finally, she sat in a loosened up version of Indian style, and shrugged when it felt the most comfortable… unnaturally. She focused again on becoming an animal, and decided to transform her ears to see if it worked.

As she did, her hearing multiplied, and she could now tell which ones were and weren't working on their essays. She smirked, her eyes glinting around the room, and she freely called them out in front of the others, asking them if they would prefer to work on their essays or have detention with her husband. Naturally, the others who were working set to work harder and those who weren't working went to work. But at the same time, some who had looked up were now staring at her. Severus stormed in at that moment, and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked. "Oh, this? I'm working on what the headmistress told me to since I'm studying to teach either Muggle Studies or Transfiguration next year. I'd like to be ready for both, so she wants to see what I can do."

"Well, you're doing a wonderful impression of Miss Granger's mishap in her second year with the Polyjuice Potion, if that was what you were going for," he smirked. "I came to drop this little devil off before the students got too out of hand in Potions. I can't keep an eye on both him _and _all the cauldrons. And you were saying something about working with three-year-olds before you left your home?"

"Ah, yes," she smirked. "Wait, impression of… Oh, snakes. Sev, do you have a mirror?" he handed her his Muggle wallet and transfigured it. "Oh… oh… this is…wow. That explains why I can… yes. Well, thank you, Severus. I will take Harry off your hands, and in exchange, you will tell no other members of the staff. Deal?"

"Deal," he said immediately. "I don't care how long I have to stay silent. Just make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble. Oh, and I've had him drawing for the past hour and a half. Nice progress, by the way, it looks lovely on you. I daresay that light pink looks good on you… just so long as you don't take it as far as Umbridge."

"Yeah, no, I wouldn't go _that _far," Sarah retorted, her ears laying back. wait, back? "Cool, I succeeded! Now, to get them back to normal…"

"Focus on human," Severus advised as he left. "If you get stuck, send a patronus up to the headmistress, she'll know what to do."

"Thanks!" Sarah grinned as her ears went back to normal. Now, to focus more on the rest of her…


	29. Games of Cat and Bat

Still Don't Own. I'm a Poor College Student, not J.K. Rowling, and I only own the Muggles, some of the students (the OC ones, duh), and Sarah.

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Chapter 29: Games of Cat and Bat

Sarah stood in the Defense Class staring around her at the students who dared to watch her as she focused on her Animagus transformation. This was becoming a headache, as every time she was close, something would get triggered because of the students and her concentration would break. The sad part was that it was the scratching of the quills that kept her going and helped her focus on the transformation.

"Gaaah!" she finally yelled at the fourth years. "So help me, the next person that I find off task will receive detention for a month with me and the other Professor Snape in the Dungeons and will be docked one hundred house points! Get back to work you little brats!"

The students immediately set to work, now knowing how she found out they were sneaking, but they didn't want to risk a month of detentions with both Professors Snape – that would be notably hell, they knew, so they stayed on task the rest of the time. Sarah was close, she could feel it, but at the same time, she felt like she was so far away, and that it wouldn't happen anytime soon. She looked around in the book, wondering if it was possible for someone to have a magical creature as their animagus. Sure enough, Merlin had had a phoenix as his Animagus form, and that it would take someone longer to turn into a magical animagus by a few months more than the normal. Well, she was a prodigy, so if she could cram seven years of Hogwarts into one and still scrape out all O's, she could do this before Christmas!

She gave the fourth years another assignment, and remained in there for a little bit during dinner to keep trying on her animagus form. Severus walked in quietly, almost inaudibly, and she grinned like the Cheshire Cat. Her cat ears were back, and for some strange reason, her posterior itched.

"Ugh, what is wrong with this robe?" she asked trying to get rid of the itch. "Ever since I started trying to transform, it's been driving me mad!"

"Hm… a tail, perhaps," the Potions Master guessed. "Minerva's on her way. She wants to see how you're doing."

"I'd be fine, but I don't think I can stand much more of this!" Sarah whined. "This itching on my spine has got to go!"

"I'm presuming it is at the point between the spinal tail and your posterior?" the headmistress questioned with a twinkle in her eyes. "If so, then your form will have a tail. Severus, why don't you try to transform?"

"I will when I have peace and quiet," he said. "Every time I tried in class, I got a headache and I felt as though my ears were going to explode. I also got extremely thirsty."

"How much you wanna bet he's a vampire bat?" Sarah whispered to the older woman, who smirked and nodded. "Ten galleons says he is." She nodded again, her eyes alight.

"Deal," she whispered. "Ten galleons say that you're a cat."

"Ten galleons say that I'm a magical creature," Sarah bartered, knowing that there was no way it could possibly be both. "Severus, what do you think your form is?"

"Women," he muttered in exasperation, knowing that they were probably both right when it came to Sarah's animagus form. After all, there was the Cheshire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, wasn't there? And besides that, even if it didn't exist in the real world, this was the magical world, and one could have easily been created by now. A kneazle would be a nice Animagus form for her, though.

OoOoOoOoO

Two months of babysitting Harry Bloody Potter had driven both Professors Snape up the wall, and when he'd been to normal, they'd stuck him in the Hospital Wing.

"What the bloody hell? Why is it that every year I'm here, I always end up in the Bloody Hospital Wing?" he shouted right as Severus, Sarah, and Minerva walked in. "What the hell happened to my students? And – and what the bloody hell happened to the weather? How long was I unconscious?"

"Harry, calm down," Snape scolded. "You're in here because every year you get into some sort of trouble, intended or not. Your students are fine, for the most part, and Sarah has been teaching them for you in a most…humbling manner, for them, rivaling only my own methods. It is now November, Harry, and you must promise me something before I continue to give you answers."

"That depends on what it is," he said warily. "And how the hell did you get to be younger than me?"

"Potions accident that rendered me younger when someone blotched up a de-aging potion and it cut my age directly in half," he shrugged. "You had a similar case when two jinxes combined. The only difference is that your number of years alive was turned into _months _alive."

"So, I was a three-year old?" Harry asked incredulously. "But, but then who took care of me if I never left the castle?"

"We did," Sarah smiled. "Sev and I took turns depending on how hyper you were in his classroom. When you exhausted yourself, I had the students take you back down to him. When you got too hyper for Potions, he sent one with you up to here. You slept in our private quarters in a spare bedroom, by the way."

"I, uh," he stammered. "Oh. Oh. Okay. Th-thank you. Really. That means a lot to me. I was wondering why I kept having this weird dream that Sna-Sev-uh…Professor Snape was my dad."

"You even called us 'mama' and 'dada'," Sarah laughed. "It was so cute! I wanted to keep you, but we decided against it since you've got your own family to raise, now."

"Thanks," he blushed embarrassed. "I'm not going to be hearing diaper stories, am I?"

"No, we ensured as much with threats of a month's worth of detention with Severus and I personally for anyone who dares to try," she smiled back. "Oh, but Severus and I are trying to become Animagi, since the Ministry wants us to hunt down a criminal in America."

"Potter, I recommend going home to Ginny," the headmistress said at last. "She knows about what happened and has been worried sick. You may come back and attempt to teach next year if you wish."

"Thanks headmistress McGonagall," Harry said. "So, who all survived the war again? I had this weird dream that Fred Weasley, Tonks and Remus Lupin, and…and Snape were all dead…."

"No, the ones you mentioned are all alive," Sarah said warily. "But, uh, the, uh, others…um…"

Severus cut her off at that point and told Harry about the war plaque memorial that he had set up to honor those who died in the wars, both when Harry was young and as a teen. After about an hour of explaining, the young Defense Professor finally relaxed. His relaxation was short-lived since his kids raced in from the Gryffindor common rooms and immediately ran to his side and check on him. His nieces and nephews, on the other hand, were forced to go back to their common rooms. Sarah smiled at the scene and led Severus away so that the war hero could have some quality time with his kids now that he was an adult again.

"I'll teach for the rest of the week, Harry," Sarah called over her shoulder as they left the hospital wing.

They headed back down to their private quarters and sat down on their favorite areas. Severus was seated on the chair, and Sarah was lying on the couch as they focused on their animagus transformations. Severus had started a few days after Sarah, and had strangely made much more progress than she had. He focused, and he could suddenly hear Sarah's relaxed breathing very clearly. He opened his eyes to a large mess of colors, and was immediately startled into flight. He couldn't see!

"Sarah!" he called out, but to no reply. He heard his voice echo, and was immediately alert. Wait, flight?

"Severus?" Sarah asked, sitting up. "Oh, my gosh! Sev, this is – oh, the kids are never going to stop laughing about this!"

"Shit! What am i? Get Minerva!" he yelled, but to no avail. What was she waiting for?

He continued screeching and flying around, trying to make sense of his surroundings and what was going on around here. He found that first one person entered the room, then another. He continued screeching, trying to find a place to land and rest. This was driving him nuts, and to make it worse, he now had to use the bathroom! He could hear the trio laughing and knew that it was Minerva and Kingsley Shacklebolt. He heard the scratching of a quill, and Minerva trying to instruct him that he should focus on becoming human again. He calmed down, focused on becoming human again, and immediately fell to the floor in a heap.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he gasped, getting up to figure things out. "I know I was something with wings…"

"A vampire bat," Minerva laughed. "If a student gets word of this, you'll never hear the end of it!"

"Shut up!" Snape snapped, and a loud purring could be heard soon after. "Wait, if you're human…Sarah?"

"Indeed," she smiled as she vanished into appearance next to him. "Your arguing with the headmistress combined with Minister Shacklebolt's use of a quill gave me the right concentration I needed to become my animagus form. Which, if I'm correct…"

"Cheshire cat," they smiled. "How fitting! Although I'm sure there'd be quite a debate about that being legal in the Wizengamot!"

"I never get involved in politics," she smiled. "It was a pity about all this. I was looking forward to seeing you Fuderwacken…"

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I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist! Review if you like. Nobody's reviewed on any of my stories yet.


	30. Muggle Hunting

Chapter 30 – Muggle Hunting

Sarah and Severus were happily legal animagi now, and since Thanksgiving vacation was right around the corner, they had all the time in the world to go Muggle-hunting once Christmas hit. However, Sarah made do with lecturing the first hour Slytherin-Gryffindor second years the next day after her form was discovered to be a pastel pink and dark violet Cheshire, just like off of Disney's cartoon _Alice in Wonderland_. Severus had chuckled at it until she called him 'Count Dracula', 'Edward Cullen', 'Aro of the Volturi', among other titles that he wished to remain unsaid.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the door burst open, and a female version of her husband marched in angrily.

"Can I help you?" Sarah asked kindly before getting slammed with the Cruciatus curse.

"Cruccio!" the older witch yelled out, and Sarah was this time sent reeling to the floor, shrieking in pain. "I'll teach you to turn my brother into a soft, romance-happy sop of a mess, you filthy little Mudblood! Cruccio!"

Sarah kept her mouth shut, writhing red-hot agony as the older witch unleashed her wrath. Sarah knew by now that if someone was angry with a Muggleborn, calling them a Mudblood, and using the Cruciatus curse, said Muggle born would be in more pain if they fought back or argued. So, she went with the only option left: apologizing.

"I'm sorry! I –I – I'll do whatever you want!" she half-begged, half-screamed in pain. "Just – just don't kill me, please!"

"NO! DIE! Cruccio! Cruccio! Cruccio!" the older witch yelled angrily, and Sarah's body was now seizing in the racking pains that engulfed her. her lungs began to fail her, and her vision became blurry. "Well? Any last words before I kill you, you filthy Mudblood?"

Sarah said nothing but cast a silent patronus, the large bat swooping out of the window. She'd sent it with a message for Severus for him to come rescue her, and hopefully he'd make it in time. it had taken the last of her strength to do so, and she was rewarded with more bouts of the Cruciatus curse. She could feel herself fading, and worse yet, the tiny life inside her was fading. The tiny life that Severus hadn't even known existed was dying, there was nothing they could do about it, and Sarah felt as though she were breaking when she felt the first drops of blood leak from her groin.

"Cruccio!" the older witch spat before the door burst open behind her.

"Expelliarmus!" Severus bellowed, and the witch stared at him in shock as her wand went flying backwards behind Sarah. "Sit your ass down, Samantha. You've got a long road ahead of you, and I really don't pity you for your trip into Azkaban. Try to fight me with a fist fight, we both know who's the older sibling here. I'm older than you, in a younger body than you, and am at a stronger advantage. Slytherin and Gryffindor students, get your wands at the ready to cast an immobilizing spell."

The older witch's eyes went wide in shock as the students rallied behind her brother and quite a few of them were wearing masks of pure fury and hatred. She sat down in the chair, and Severus bound her with magical ropes, summoning her wand to him before kneeling beside Sarah. He began looking over her, checking her vitals, and began trying to keep her as awake as possible. Hurriedly, he sent one student down to the hospital wing to get Poppy as he sent his Patronus to the headmistress to explain what had happened in there and to get a batch of aurors as quickly as possible.

"No, no, baby, it's alright," severus soothed as sarah began sobbing uncontrollably. "No, shh, I'm here, I'm here. Woman, stop bawling, it's not the end of the world!"

"Severus!" Poppy shrieked as she raced in with a frantic Midna hot on her heels. "What – oh my god… not the Cruciatus curse!"

"Yes, Poppy," he confirmed as Sarah began sobbing anew. Minerva rushed in as quickly as she could in her old age with Shacklebolt and five aurors hot on their heels. "Samantha used the Cruciatus curse on Sarah. My sister, she was sent to Beauxbatons when my father couldn't stand having the two of us in the same school for 'freaks' as he called us."

"My god," Poppy murmured as she ran diagnostic charms. "Severus, I'll need anti-Cruciatus potions, Pain relievers, and – and – and blood replenishing potions. I – I'm so sorry, Severus, I had no idea…"

"Poppy," Severus warned, but stopped when he smelled the blood. "oh no. Oh god no. Sarah! Why the bloody hell didn't you tell me you were pregnant, damn it?"

"I – I wasn't sure," she sobbed. "I – I was going to go to Poppy today to – to figure out for sure, but…but…"

"It's alright, it's not your fault," the mediwitch soothed gently as Severus pulled the required potions out of his robes. "we're lucky Severus prepares for worst-case scenarios whenever there's an emergency that requires his help. Severus, sarah, we'll need you two to be silent unless they're interrogating you two for witnesses."

"What happened here?" Kingsley asked, and the older witch, Samantha, began spouting off rubbish about Sarah attacking. "Silencio. I'll take the word of thirty students and two professors before I take your word without the use of Veritaserum."

The Slytherin leader explained what they saw, and all the students stood by her statements. Sarah nodded a confirmation when asked if this was what happened, and Severus nodded when he was asked if this was true about his part in this, and telling the part of how he'd left the Potions lab when he'd gotten Sarah's patronus.

"What exactly did the patronus say?" Minerva asked, and Severus sighed.

"Under attack. Unknown witch. Cruciatus curse. Please help," he replied. "it was clear by the voice in the patronus that she was using the last of her willpower and concentration to perform the patronus."

Kingsley nodded and pulled a vial of Veritaserum out of his robes. It was very, very powerful, and the woman was forced to tell her accounts and why she'd done it and what she'd intended to happen. She also explained how she got even more enraged at Sarah's glowing aura and was determined to destroy the child inside of her that her brother had been wrong to father with a 'filthy, shit-bag bitch of a Mudblood'. Severus felt his rage grow and he was seeing red at his sister, but it was Poppy who spoke.

"I hope you're happy then, because you most certainly have killed your brother's only child!" she screamed in rage. "they're happily married, and you have the nerve to barge in here, try to kill his wife, kill his unborn daughter, and reduce said daughter to a pile of blood! I hope they give you the Dementor's kiss!"

"I second that," Severus and Minerva said in unison, and the Snape female stared at her brother. "You deserve it! you're worse than the death eaters for attacking your own family! Quite possibly as demented as Bellatrix Lestrange or Voldemort himself!"

"Go to hell!" she spat angrily. "And you, Severus Snape – I hope you rot in the deepest pits of Tartarus! You and your Mudblood wife both!"

Severus was immediately at her throat with his wand. "Don't you _ever _talk that way about my wife again, or I swear you'll be made to suffer for an eternity," he growled angrily, his eyes flaring with hellfire that she was wishing upon them. "Poppy, I think it best that I take Sarah to the hospital wing _before _I lose my temper and hex my sister six ways to Sunday."

Poppy nodded and led the Potions Master out with Sarah sobbing on a stretcher, unable to move very well. Severus would have gladly hexed his sister if he hadn't been worried about Sarah, who he knew was in good hands with Poppy. However, he had a Potions classroom to get back to, and promised his wife that he'd return just as soon as he could for lunch. She'd nodded and let the mediwitch take her off and let her rest. About halfway into his second hour class, the five aurors came in and questioned him under the effects of the Veritaserum, to which once they got the answers they needed, they thanked him and left with a slight apology for interrupting him.

Sarah was soon resting peacefully and warily waking up whenever a door was opened. Severus walked in to join her for lunch, just as he'd promised, and sat down next to her. she was soon fast asleep, though, and completely worn out, which he completely understood. Harry had returned after spending the morning with Ginny, and was shocked to hear what had happened. He shook his head, knowing that the students still needed their teacher, and returned to work for second hour. He, too, came into the hospital wing to see how Sarah was doing, and wasn't at all surprised by Sarah's exhaustion or Severus' worry. He smiled, knowing that Sarah and Severus really were doing wonders for each others' mental and emotional scars and wounds.

"How is she?" he murmured, and Severus looked up at him sadly. "What's Poppy say?"

"she – she was pregnant," he murmured in reply. "She never told me, but was planning to check with Poppy right now. But now… I don't know if she'll even want children or not anymore. She'll be hurting inside. I know I am. I barely even knew she was pregnant in the first place, only from what Poppy diagnosed in the classroom. But, it still…it…"

"It still hurts," Harry nodded. "It's okay. admitting that you're in emotional or mental pain is always the first and most difficult step towards healing."

"Well, since we're talking about that," Severus began, "You know what your father did to me, I presume. It – they caught me crying on the train during my first trip to Hogwarts. My father was abusive and had just killed my mother, and I was still mourning her when they found me crying. They never took the time to try to understand me, they just began picking on me nonstop for that one reason. That, and I was your mother's friend and sorted into Slytherin."

"Man. I'm so sorry," Harry murmured, "I'd hate it if that had happened to me. I – I know this sounds crazy, but… I want to make it up to you. Let me atone for my father's mistakes. And… and I know you loved my mom and all that before she got all mad at you… but, maybe what we need is a clean slate between the two of us. Just, ignore who my parents are and get to know me, and I'll put all those years of harsh words behind me and pretend like they never happened. I know how you feel, though. Dudley used to do the same thing to me when I was a kid."

"Your cousin," Severus said, and Harry nodded. "But, he stopped when you saved him from the Dementors, did he not?"

"Yes," Harry smiled. "Once he realized that I'd saved him and not the reason he was hurt like that. he was so much of a wreck those first couple days afterwards that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon automatically thought it was me. it wasn't until after I left that he was finally able to tell them what really happened. He thought I was gone for sure and had gotten my wand snapped, which he realized he didn't want. That one life-saving incident made him realize that we were family, no matter what barriers we have that separate us. Ironically, he married Mellicent Bullstrode from Slytherin. It was really funny to see the look on her face when Dudley stood up for me at their wedding, so priceless. But she came around, and he wasn't at all bothered by her being a witch, and explained to her why he was okay with it. She was shocked, of course, but she came around with time. so long as I didn't get _too _far under her skin."

"Lucky," Severus grumbled. "Your father and the other Marauders never stopped. Well, Remus did after they graduated, and we even had a mutual agreement in your third year. The attack in your third year wasn't the first time I was face to face with a werewolf. I'd seen him like that in my fifth year, just days before our OWLs, and I was still shell-shocked when your father jumped me that day. I was so rattled that … well, you know. I tried to beg, but she wouldn't listen. When he came of age, Lucius Malfoy started torturing my Muggle father. I felt so good watching my father writhe in pain after all the hell he'd given my mother, sister and me. he'd even sent my little sister away to boarding schools ever since she was four just because she was a witch like my mother. The only reason he kept me around was to try to make me like him. You should have seen the look on his face at the feeling of the Cruciatus curse, it was terrifying. But Lucius put a stop to him by threatening him saying that if he ever hurt me again, he'd come here and torture him again, only this time my father wouldn't live to tell the tale. He hit me only once after that, and even then, he spent the whole next year apologizing to me. he'd even bought all my school things that year to try to make up for it. but, when I was gone again, he went back to the drink and it started all over again… at least you didn't have to live with that crap with the Muggles. Did you?"

"Kind of," Harry smiled, "Uncle Vernon basically made me his house elf. They gave me just enough food to survive, kept me busy around the house, and locked me in my cupboard if I had accidental magic."

"Cupboard?" Snape asked incredulously. "Damn. At least I had a bedroom with my drunkard bastard of a father… when my mother's parents heard about what was going on, they named me as their heir so I could get out of there whenever I came of age or they died. Within months, though, my father hunted them down and killed them in the middle of the night. I didn't have access until I came of age, it was in their will. So, I waited until then, but it was too late. my father had beaten me into near-submission, and I was at my wits' end trying to survive. As soon as I graduated, I used the Cruciatus curse on my father, and cast a complicated spell on him that showed him for what he truly was – a monster. I'm not sure if there's an animal out there that will attack its mate and young, abandoning its second young even – my sister had been shipped to Beauxbatons to keep us separate and to make us think the other was dead – and have disregard for whatever the stronger animals have to say about picking on their young. I was overjoyed when he was on his deathbed. It was only then that he revealed my sister's location to me, but by then it was too late. I was a Death Eater, and my sister was a mother, I believe. I didn't want her to be in danger, so I left her alone. Earlier this week was the first time I've seen her since we were young, and she just attacks like that out of nowhere… I don't even want to know what kind of monster she is. She took after Tobias more than I did, and that's saying something since I get my eerie aura from him…"

Harry sat in shock at his Professor's words, not believing that the man was finally opening up to somebody else, let alone him. But, then again, he had proposed that they start out on a clean slate, and was this Snape's way of getting him to understand where he was coming from? If so, it was most definitely working since he knew all too well what drunk Muggles were like and knowing that Tobias Snape and Vernon Dursley would have gotten along perfectly.

"You know," Harry grinned, "We could always reverse what Dudley did to me as a game when we were kids. He called it 'Harry hunting', but I think it's time we did a little 'Muggle Hunting', Professor…"

"Please, call me Severus," the Potions Master smiled softly. "But first things first – we need to let Sarah recover and then hunt her parents down first. That's why we became animagi without the Ministry asking questions, since her parents are the Muggle couple causing the riots. _Then _we can hunt down your aunt and uncle. We'll let you know when we're done with our hunting so that you can come hunting with me next summer, yes?"

"I'd be honored," Harry smiled, his eyes sparkling.


	31. Making Christmas

Chapter 31 – Making Christmas

Sarah smiled as they left the school for Christmas. Severus had almost decreed that they weren't allowed to stay over the holiday, but had finally relented and permitted Midna to stay, since she was the lone Slytherin who didn't want to go home. She'd been ordered to go to Professor Potter if she really needed anything, and that he'd care for her as best he could in Snape's absence. Sarah and Severus, however, were passing the vacation away by taking another visit to her family. They'd already paid the ransom that they'd demanded, and had even addressed it to Harry's house, to which he'd picked it up and transferred it to Severus with a confused look. He'd understood immediately as soon as he saw Sarah's Cheshire-Cat grin, however, and simply laughed at their antics for more money out of her family to get more apologies from them. She's spent almost two years away from them, and was now finally ready to make amends, seeing how Severus' sister had reacted.

Severus smirked as he transformed into a bat to fly out. It was cold out, but not yet snowing on a dark Christmas eve, and Sarah's family were gathered around just as they were before. This time, however, she would shock them by showing up with Severus in tow, in bat form at first, then in human if needed be. She knocked, and the entire family stared at her as she entered their domain. Her wand was in its sheath, but easily accessible, and she was dressed in her muggle attire. Severus was happily hanging from her ponytail, startling the others, and she laughed at their fears.

"Relax, this is my pet vampire bat, Severus," she smiled. "He's harmless, I promise. Now, what's been going on that I missed?"

"You traitor!" her mother screeched. "You lying, filthy traitor!"

"Oh, shut up, I've been called that enough this past month, I don't need it from you guys, too," she snapped, "Don't make me pull out my weapon, I will hit you with it."

The entire family quieted down except the angry brunette. She continued to scream and rage until finally Severus squeaked to get let out. Sarah went to the door, let him fly off, and wasn't at all surprised to find that her husband returned within mere moments. At the sight of Severus, however, her mother quieted down, fearful of the newcomer.

"Mother, Father, and all members of the Boone family lineage," Sarah said formally. "I'd like for you to meet Daemon, my husband. We've been married since June."

"You – you lying piece of filth!" Jennifer spat, pulling out a gun. "I'll kill you myself!"

"Try me," Severus spat, pulling out a gun immediately from his coat. "Don't push your luck, I've had so many weapons pointed at me, I don't get phased by it anymore. Put your gun on the ground and your hands on your head, or I'll shoot you."

Jennifer stared at him, not calling his bluff until Sarah retrieved her own gun from her jacket pockets, to which her eyes bulged and she pointed the gun on herself. Sarah sighed and shook her head, knowing her mother's weakness. Sarah realized it, and realized what her mother was wanting – her love.

"Mother," she began slowly, "Let's all put our guns down, and just talk this out calmly like civilized adults. Daemon is the one who rescued me, that's why I married him. It was the only way for me to be truly safe from my kidnapper anymore. Don't you see? I love him, mama. Why – don't you want me to be happy?"

"I want my baby back!" she spat. "I want my baby!"

"And I am your baby, mama," Sarah soothed, "Just all grown up now, that's all. You have a son-in-law, mama, aren't you happy? You'll only get one of them, mama, and death can't separate the two of us. I think we should just put all the guns down, and just try to get along. Isn't that what Christmas is about? Giving, caring, and family?"

"Over my dead body!" she screamed, and Sarah felt Severus' wandless magic – which he rarely used and even only when absolutely necessary – to propel the gun and cause it to seize up, breaking it so that the bullets wouldn't release. "What the hell did you do to my gun? I knew it! you're a couple of freaks! I knew from the minute you were born, you'd be a freak, a monster, a devil! Get out! GET OUT!"

"I hate to do this," Severus said calmly, "But you leave me no choice. Sarah, your gun."

"On it," she replied, and shot two darts, one at each of her parents. "I'm sorry, mama, papa. But, it's for your own good, and it's – it's part of the job."

The others stared at her, and she gave the Muggle version of the undercover cop assignment that she was given, telling them that her parents were accused of causing riots, and that she only agreed to help prove their innocence. Severus sighed through his nose at the outright lie of the second part – Sarah wanted nothing more than her parents behind bars, for all he knew. He hoisted her mother up over his shoulder, dragging her father behind with his right arm, and drug them to the car that they'd easily high-jacked from their mother. He threw them in the backseat, buckling their seat belts, and forcing dreamless sleep potions down their throats. That would keep them knocked out well into the morning, he knew. Thus, it would give him the chance to report back to the Ministry and turn them in. he returned to the house, pausing just long enough to tell them that he was going to go give a status update to their boss and be back in about half an hour. She nodded, and the others visibly relaxed when he left. Now that they knew that Sarah's was only a stun-gun combined with a morphine dart shooter, they were calm. Surprisingly, they enjoyed themselves as soon as they broke the ice surrounding her cold and fear-inducing demeanor, which she'd picked up from Severus.

Severus, however, took great delight in turning the two Muggles in, and testifying under the effects of Veritaserum as to what had happened. They barely used their wands, since they were in a Muggle area, and surrounded by her Muggle family of witnesses, and so explained their resorting to Muggle methods. The Ministry was shocked, and handed him the cash reward for catching the two criminals, and he was quite pleased with the sum of money that he earned. Sarah could more than easily become a bounty hunter if she wanted to be, he knew, and smirked at the thought of being a Death Eater married to a bounty hunter. The very thought was so horrible and amazing, it terrified most others. He, however, was laughing at it as he returned back to the festivities.

"What took you so long? It's been an hour!" one of the females, the bratty whale Bobbie, he noted, sneered. He sneered right on back, placing his money in his pocket before going up behind Sarah to plant a kiss on her cheek and whisper the results into her ear.

"Ah, so the boss was pleased? Good, maybe now we'll get a pay raise," she smirked. "I daresay we need one after all those missions and not a single ounce of credit since we were supposedly 'not involved' and him handing it over to senior officers right as we were about to wrap it up."

"What? That's so unfair!" the twin girls, Chrissy and Cassy half-shrieked.

"Hey, he gave us plenty of money for this one, however," Severus smirked. "Apparently your parents have a hefty price on their heads in England for causing riots in various areas. They were afraid to send anybody that wasn't Sarah for fear of losing a spectacular officer. I believe we showed them just how much they underestimate our abilities, love. He was very shocked that we were able to do so without blood being drawn. He even gave us a tip for that."

Sarah knew what he was saying, however. _The Ministry is going to possibly put your parents in Azkaban for what they did with all the riots and deaths in Diagon Alley. They knew that it was you they wanted, so give them what they want and let her do the talking so we don't lose anybody of importance like the Golden Trio. We showed them just how strong and underestimated we are, but also that Slytherin house can be just as brave and resourceful at catching criminals as any Gryffindor. He paid us up front since we went through all the trouble, got it without revealing magic, and even so quickly after starting. He was also shocked at how we were able to calm them down without spells, even though I did use Potions._

"Wow, that's… wow, Daemon," Sam said warily, still in shock, not sure if this was the same man that he saw the previous year. "So, uh, Sarah, have you gone to visit Gammy yet? I know Daemon might not want to visit her, but it never hurts to take a shoulder to cry on." _translation: is this the same guy from last year?_

"Yeah, we visited," she nodded. "And Daemon and I found it quite funny to find my gravestone! I'm sure any - anyone would!"

Severus heard the hesitation in her voice and knew that she was still hurting inside from the miscarriage that she'd had. He put his arm around her to comfort her, and the others furrowed their brow in confusion. He began comforting and soothing, assuring her that it wasn't her fault, to which the others were completely at a loss of what he was talking about. Naturally, it took one of her cousin's spouses to figure it out since she, too, had had a few miscarriages in her day.

"My god," she said in shock, sitting up. "You – you had a miscarriage?"

Sarah nodded as she almost started crying on Severus' shoulder. She hugged him tightly, sobbing still, and he continued to try to soothe her. He explained the Muggle version of what happened – a torture session while they were out on an assignment – and that they both hadn't even known at the time until they got the hospital diagnosis. She was still hurting inside, he knew, and she was sobbing that fact into his jacket now. He let her cry, knowing it was the best outlet for her, and finally let her tears die down into eventual nothingness. The other cousins hadn't the faintest clue of what to do, they'd never dealt with a miscarriage before, and most definitely from a ticking-time-bomb like Sarah was known to be for them.

"Sarah," one of the adults said, "I – I know what it's like to lose an infant. It took me a few years to finally conceive and go full term with Saphy, and…well, sweetheart, the best thing you can do is to get back on your feet and try again when you're ready. It helps, I promise."

'Sure it does,' Sarah mentally scoffed. 'Like eating knives will help you cut your food up faster. And technically, you didn't have hardly any miscarriages with Saphy, you're only saying that to try to make me feel better!'

"Thank you," Severus said quietly. "I'm sure she'll be a little more willing to try in a few more weeks. Just as soon as we're able to get our schedules cleared for a three-day weekend on a school week."

"I thought you worked for the government?" Samuel asked confused.

"I do, but that's on the side of teaching Chemistry at a private school," Severus shrugged, giving them the typical Muggle answer. "Which, I won't deny, Sarah graduated from with all top marks."

"Wow! Congratulations, Sarah!" they bragged, excited that she'd actually graduated from a school this time. "Nice work! Where do you think you want to work now?"

She shrugged, still a little upset about losing her unborn child. But, her aunt was probably right in the fact that she needed to try again, if only a few weeks later. She still needed another month to let her body recover from the Cruciatus curse's effects, just to be safe. And to top it off, she was still wary of them, not trusting them at all, and was still the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. Harry had taken to being the backup substitute to return back to his regular duties as a parent, leaving her alone to handle the rowdy students. Sarah, however, was beginning to dress like a polar opposite of Severus in the meantime – all white, with a pure black scarf that Severus had given her for the first birthday that she'd ever had with him. It had been his, but he felt it prudent that she should have it, as a birthday gift from a mentor to his student.

She almost smirked, thinking of how his white shirt was just barely visible in his black robes. And then the thought occurred to her – he was all black with a bit of white, while she the opposite, and if they were spinning round it would look like Yin and Yang from above! She almost hugged her aunt, but a pain in her waist (which had been happening ever since the miscarriage) stopped her from getting up. She put her left arm over her gut absent-mindedly, and Severus took her left hand in his right, draping his own left arm across her shoulders to comfort her.

"I guess I want to be a teacher alongside Daemon," she said at last, pain evident in her voice to someone like Severus, but never to anyone else. He'd trained her to be a spy, and she'd answered the call of duty perfectly in conjunction to his training – except for the Occlumency. At that point, she was hopeless as Harry had been. "Only, I kind of want to be a Sociology teacher."

'_Translation, she wants to teach Muggle Studies,_' he smirked. '_I daresay she'd do perfectly at it._'

"But, Sarah, you're horrible with society manners," her brothers said agape, and Severus glared at them harshly. "What? It's true!"

"If you're not finished insulting my wife, we'll be taking our leave," Severus said coldly, indicating that if they insulted her like that again, he'd leave.

"No, it's alright, they're right, at least to their knowledge," she smirked. '_Translation: they're right, but they don't know that I'm talking about Muggle Studies_.' "Besides, I've been meaning to get a new pet snake, maybe a raven or cat…"

"You're out of your mind!" half the family yelled. "What about Powder?"

"She's dead," Severus said bluntly. "One of the students of mine killed her, and I made perfect sure that the student failed _all _his classes for that school year, as well as punishments from the Principal and the boy's parents. I daresay they won't do anything, though. He's spoiled rotten, that's for sure."

"as much as we'd love to stay, we have students who remained at the school for the holiday that we have to watch over," Sarah said getting up, a notion Severus knew meant for them to get out of there and the atmosphere was choking her. "It was great to see you guys again. I'll _try _to come back for a few holidays and during the summers. Hey, maybe even for Easter sometime!"

And with that the couple left through the front door, morphed into their animagus forms and fled the area. Her family didn't even know where she was, but they still had the feeling that she was hiding something.


	32. Blackmail and Gambling

Chapter 32 –Blackmail and Gambling

Christmas came and went uneventfully, and Sarah was still an emotional wreck by the time that classes rolled back around. Time flew by, and the students and staff alike had all noticed that the spark in Sarah's personality and eyes had gone. Even her infamous temper had died, which was something that unnerved them all, since their Potion's Master's temper was making up for it sevenfold. Finally, Sarah had broken down into Hermione's arms in the middle of their free period while they were at the staff room for lunch, with Minerva watching on under a notice-me-not charm. It was mid-January, but just barely, and she had a mind to get her new Defense Professor pregnant before the end of the month. She approached Severus in between classes, casting silencing charms all around them, and his eyes widened at the idea that she had brought up.

"But, Minerva, she'd never trust me again," he protested. "I can't give my wife a dreamless sleep potion, have sex with her while she's asleep, and expect her not to get suspicious when she's pregnant with no recollections of any kind of intercourse! It's absurd, and a death wish at that. I miss her as well, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to do something so cruel and horrible. I may be a Slytherin and former Death Eater, but I have my boundaries, and that is crossing them all!"

"Then just make sure that you do so once a week. It's either that or I can kick her out of the castle and have Harry teach Defense," she said with her eyes flaring. "She knows I'll do it, and so help me Severus, I will kick _you _out as well!"

"Fine," he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll do it, but I won't like any minute of this. Merlin's beard, I feel guilty already…"

"Don't be," she said kindly. "It's the kindest thing you can do for her right now. She needs to learn that it's not her fault, and that the best thing for her to do now is to move on and to try again, no matter how hard it hurts. It's time she took another step into becoming more of a woman, and for you in becoming a different man."

"But-!"

"I know you're wary because of your father," the headmistress said holding up a hand to silence him. "But I have every confidence that you will become nothing like him, even if you did inherit his temperament. You and Sarah will undoubtedly learn from your parents' mistakes and build off of them, and now it's time for you to build off of her mistakes, Severus. One day, you'll understand. I will see you at dinner."

"No, you won't," Severus said as she was leaving. "I've still got to put that maniacal plan of yours into action." She smiled and left the room. "Mangy meddling feline fleabag needs to learn to mind her own damn business."

Sarah, meanwhile, was talking with Harry about the issue, and even telling him of what her aunt and family had told her to do. He agreed that she should at least try to get over the pains, and to at least let the healing process begin by trying to have another baby. She's stared at him in shock, but he'd quickly salvaged his pride by telling her that it didn't have to be that day, but sometime before the end of the school year. She'd responded with more insecurities she had about parenting, and he smiled and pointed out that she had an innumerable army of soldiers and guardians at her disposal in the classroom, namely, any and every female student in the school, as well as all the Slytherin and even most of the Gryffindor house. He even offered to be her bodyguard for the rest of the year, but she frowned and sighed before telling him she didn't need his help.

"Sarah," the headmistress said as she waltzed into the room in her Animagus form. "We need to talk. It's about you and Severus."

"I don't care," she murmured. "He wouldn't want a useless witch who can't even carry his child four whole months, let alone the whole nine that's needed…"

"That was not your fault, that was the doings of the Cruciatus curse," the older feline snapped. "Now stop beating yourself up about it. if you don't think you can go all nine months, then prove me wrong, prove that you can go four months, and I'll give you ten galleons, miscarriage or not after that. if you can go full term, I'll give Severus a five galleon pay raise. Six, if the baby is healthy."

"You're bluffing!" harry gawked. "You're kidding, right, Professor McGonagall?"

"No, Potter, I'm not joking," she snapped. "The only condition that I'm placing is that you must get pregnant _before _the end of February. That will give you enough time to go to the four months before the end of school. Do we have a deal?"

Sarah considered it for a bit. She knew that Severus needed a pay raise, he was _long _overdue for one by now, and that they would need the money. Even with all the money they'd saved up , it would still cost more than they could afford to raise a child. Even in the Wizarding world, teaching wasn't a very well-paying job, even though you didn't have to pay to go to college for it. She sighed, knowing the older animagus would want an answer, and nodded. She'd try again, if only to help Severus and her financial situation in the long run. The headmistress smiled with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Thank you, Sarah," she said gently. "You'll thank me for this in the long run."

"Why do I doubt that?" she murmured as tears began to fill her eyes. Luckily, it was second years, and Midna knew by now to get Professor Snape before her best friend had a nervous breakdown.

He'd sent a Patronus telling her to assign them an essay and to write out her feelings on the piece of parchment he'd given her, explaining that it would manifest itself to him as well. Within moments, the Potions Master found his piece of parchment (which was eight feet long), glowing in the dungeons.

_Minerva blackmailed me! She – she said I can't tell you what it is, but it hurts, Sev! It hurts inside, and I don't know how to get rid of this pain! I want it to go away, but it just won't! I feel so lost, alone, confused! What do I do? Should I go through with the blackmail? She'd rigged it so that if I did what she wanted, she would supposedly help us in the long run. What do I do? I wish- I wish we didn't have to be separate!_

Blackmail? How typical of a Gryffindor. Well, and a Slytherin. What you do now depends on the blackmail. If it's anything that can be harmful, just tell me when we're alone (preferably late at night), and we can work from there. If it's not harmful, well, leave me out of it if you can. If it has anything to do with children, I leave it in your hands, just so long as I don't have to change Potter's diapers again. you know, we _do _have the possibility of skipping dinner to try to figure things out. And besides that, we still have to punish Goyle and Yaxley. Where are those two, I haven't seen them since the incident?

_I don't know. Do _you _not have any idea? Some heads of houses we are. This …_

"This"?

_I'm probably going to get hell for this._

Get hell for what now?

_Severus, she wants us to try again before the end of the school year! She says that it'll be better in the long run._

Severus sat in astonished silence at her most recent message. He knew she'd approached him about it, but Great Slytherin, this was madness to blackmail a woman who was still hurting inside into trying again into trying to have another child! Even he knew better than that! She may have thought it would work out better in the long run, but this was cause for a one on one chat with Albus' portrait, and his own as well if he was going to out-fox the headmistress.

Sarah, how objective are you to getting dirt on Minerva and blackmailing her in return?

It was now Sarah's turn to be silent, and she pushed the paper away. He hadn't even listened to her pleas, it wasn't helping at all! She wanted this ruddy class to be over, and this was probably not going to happen. She wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and cry, and she realized that she could do so if she was in the Cheshire cat form. She shifted, her students becoming alarmed, and she curled up into a ball, her head tucked into her stomach to hide her silent tears. Nobody objected, since Harry then took over teaching from where he was grading the most recent batch of essays that Sarah had assigned.

Severus, meanwhile, was concocting a plan to get Sarah in his bed and to get her pregnant, while getting revenge on Minerva at the same time. If he made a de-aging potion, she'd be headmistress longer. On the other hand, that would cause more problems for him in the future. He sighed, knowing that he'd have no choice but to get Sarah pregnant before the end of the month if he wanted to keep his job and Sarah's as well. Not that she'd keep it anyways after that school year. The bell rang loudly, and for the first time in a very long time, he didn't assign homework to them. No, he'd quiz them on it later. He went straight to his potion store, grabbed a dreamless sleep potion, and headed up to the Defense classroom to collect his wife, who hopefully hadn't destroyed the place by now in a temper tantrum.

He glared at anyone who got in his way, and passed his newfound acquaintance Potter on the way. He did a double take, knowing that Sarah would have left before him unless she was still throwing a fit, but he didn't have that terrified or worried look on his face. Shaking his head, Severus continued on and opened the door to find Midna stroking Sarah's fur, the latter of which vanishing as he walked in.

"Damn it, Sarah, I just want to talk," he snapped as he reached the front of the room. "I know you're still upset about what Minerva's doing, and she blackmailed me as well during my last class. Sarah, just… if you're still mad at me, I understand. I'll be in our quarters grading essays if you need me."

He trudged back down to the dungeons, pretending to be hurt and offended, and he left out a flask of strawberry juice laced with Dreamless sleep Potion out for her, with a note that read "Drink Me", as well as a piece of cake laced likewise that had frosting on it that read "Eat Me". he knew that they were her achilles heels, and set out to grade papers until she finally caved in and either ate or drank one. Luckily for her, she was sitting on the couch when she ate the cake. It had made her sleepy, but she shrugged it off as her body still trying to recover. She drank all the strawberry juice, and promptly fell asleep and collapsed as soon as she finished the final drop. Severus frowned guiltily as he walked into the room, knowing that the potency of the dreamless sleep Potion he'd slipped made sure she wouldn't wake up for a while yet, and most definitely couldn't be burnt out. She'd stayed awake, and he'd rigged it as such to do so.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured as he lifted her off the couch to take her to their quarters. "I'll be as gentle as I possibly can. She's blackmailing me into this, and we'll both lose our jobs if I don't do this tonight. Please forgive me…"

"Severus," she murmured as her consciousness slipped further and further away.


	33. Bast

Chapter 33 – Bast

A/N 1: there's three groups singing this time. Severus' and Sarah are the same as they've always been, but this time the third party will be done by proxy. The song is mentioned, and the background voices are missing in this, since it's an entire group of people talking and chanting in unison. The lyrics that they'll be singing can be found if you look up the song. Thank you for your cooperation and continued reading, my lovelies!

Sarah awoke to a bright sun, its harsh rays shining down onto her through the fake window in the Snape private quarters. She startled up, and immediately lay back in pain, wincing. She looked around, and found a note from Severus. She glared at it, but took it anyways to read, knowing that he wouldn't leave one unless it was important.

Sarah,

You collapsed last night on the floor. Poppy said you'd be alright, but that you'd be extremely stiff for a while. You hit your head, so she wants you in bed for today. I'll be back just as soon as I'm done eating. Minerva blackmailed me, and if I don't do it, we both lose our jobs. _This _is bad, I know, and from what I know about her, she probably blackmailed you for the same reason. She wants me to get you pregnant before the end of the school year, but I won't begin trying until you're ready for me to, love. I understand that you're upset and hurting about losing our baby girl, Princess. I am still, it hurts, and I now understand why my father turned to drink when my mother had a miscarriage the year after Samantha was born. It was his only comfort, but I promise you that I will never, ever, become him for as long as I can help it. If I do, please tell me, and I will do everything in my power to cease and desist the behavior that I learned from him. The only behavior I can't say that for from him is my foul-mouth.

I'm sorry I wasn't there as a shoulder to cry on when you needed it yesterday. Would it help to have make-up sex during our next Hogsmeade trip? If not, I understand, just let me know how I can best repair the damage I have done to you.

Love eternal,

Severus

"You can't," Sarah muttered darkly. "Nothing can help this. I do know one thing that will help, but I highly doubt it's legal."

"What's not legal?" Severus asked worriedly as he walked in with a tray of food. "I brought you breakfast to help you keep your strength up and recovery."

"Not hungry," Sarah retorted. "I want to torture my parents and the Boone clan. As tempting as it is to torture your sister, she's in Azkaban, yes?"

"For thirty years," Severus nodded. "She's old enough and probably won't survive it. it hurts, but it's nothing compared to losing our baby, Sarah. I'd give her up a million times over if it meant saving our little girl. Unfortunately, we can only move on. her children want to meet up with us and see how you're doing, and they want to make amends."

"Screw them," she screamed. "I hate this! I hate it all! I hate them all! They'll pay for what they did!"

Without a second thought or warning, Sarah transformed into her animagus form, and vanished into the cold morning air. Severus froze, unsure of what to do. Potter would take over for defense, he knew, but there was nobody that could take over for him if he left the Potions Classrooms. He instead walked into the classroom, assigned a five foot essay to each class he taught on the most recent potion they were working on, and sent a Patronus to the headmistress to report Sarah's disappearance and reason, as well as report that he was going to go stop her inevitable temper tantrum.

Within moments, he was racing outside in the cold frigid air, racing out to the gates and apparating back to her childhood home in Conway just as soon as he was outside of the gates. He wasn't at all surprised to find that she had, indeed, come there, but was shocked to find that it was them that she took all her anger and sorrows out on. He noticed that the water all over the city was now blood, and that she'd set up barriers with Inferi protecting them in an attempt to ward off any others who came around to stop her wrath. He noticed that it created a cube around the whole city, and that inside the cube was where the curses were in effect.

He stared in horror as the water in the city was all turned to blood, just after she'd shouted out "Sanguine Agua!" and the citizens began racing around in a panic. She began casting time release spells that would only be set into motion if the ones who she was mad at didn't relinquish power to her. one new spell for every day, he calculated, leaving a week and a half for her to come back again since they were leaving. She soon began muttering the new curses that would be let off, and he could hear her perfectly clear.

"Socium custos! Die remissionis plaga verbarate! Rana examen! Fugere summonitionem! Destruens Locusta impetum! Grando ignis! Lepra percussor! Hortum umbras!" she called out, pointing her wand at the barrier. Severus' eyes narrowed as he realized what she had begun casting, and knew that this was part of her background in religion. "Ultimum forte sui vocare!"

"Sarah, are you sure this is wise?" Severus asked, and she smirked in delight. "You realize that if the Ministry of magic gets word of what you've done, you'll go to Azkaban!"

"I know. That's why I rigged it," she laughed. "It will release once a day at different hours every day, but all of them during the time that we're teaching classes. The final plague is in nine more days, and it will summon me at our lunchtime so that I can send the final one out. Now, to we are going to go back to my old school and scare the crap out of my old English teacher, because I've got a score to settle with him in regards to my unsavory grades."

"Please tell me you're not going to do what I think you will," he begged, and she smiled as she apparated away. "Since when does she apparate on her own?"

He apparated to her side just in time to hear her say "Revalare verum animalis intra," and knew that it would show her teacher for what he really was in accordance to his personality and that it would only cease when he realized what he was doing wrong and had fixed it permanently. Which, he could tell was never going to happen anytime soon. He apparated back to the school, just as Lunch was served, and the Slytherin house knew what was going on, and had even started singing along with Disney's _Prince of Egypt_ song, "the Plagues". Severus flinched, also reminded of the aforementioned song.

"This is not good," he murmured as the teacher's animalistic aura unfolded above his head. Severus looked on as the animal went from being shapeless to becoming a donkey. "How fitting for the bastard. He'd stubborn, willingly attacks anyone that angers him in any way, and is often called an ass."

"You – what have you done?" the teacher yelled in shock, and Sarah laughed just before wiping his memory of her visit. "What? Denning? You're alive?"

Sarah said nothing as she motioned for Severus to apparate him away to the shrieking shack. He shook his head, knowing that the teacher was in for nothing but hell from the witch, and she happily apparated away to join them, again wiping his memory of the trip. He looked up at her in alarm as she sauntered towards him, having temporarily traded her wand for a knife, and Severus bound him with strong ropes. He began begging for mercy, and Severus left the shack to let his wife have her way. The Muggle wouldn't get treated much better by her than most others would by a Death Eater back in Voldemort's rule.

She went back to her post as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Harry nodded as he relented control. He'd hunted witches and wizards before, and Kingsley had sent him a Patronus saying that someone was torturing an entire city of Muggles – no doubt a Death Eater on the rampage, as the Dark Mark had appeared just above the town. He apparated to the airport, taking an airplane over, and apparating to the location of the town was the final leg of his journey. He stared in wonder, unsure of where to go from there. There were frogs everywhere, but this was a town with a lot of water in it, and the creeks were flooded as well as the rivers in the town. The water wasn't blood anymore, but that was only because the time release that Sarah had put on it made it look like there was only one plague at a time and covered up her tracks perfectly.

"I see nothing wrong, Minister Shacklebolt," Harry said another twelve hours later. "There was a lot of water all over town, as well as a lot more frogs than normal as a result of said water, but I felt no traces of magic as a cause for either of them, and there were more storm clouds on the horizon. I felt no traces of magical energy of any kind there except for a protection spell cast over the town to keep someone's loved ones safe from Death Eaters."

"Fine!" Kingsley huffed angrily. "But if there's something wrong at that town, I'm holding you responsible! I want Sarah there before two weeks is over!"

"Yes, sir," Harry said dejectedly as he used the Floo to get back to Hogwarts just in time for dinner. "Hey, Sarah, have you heard about what's been going on in Conway?"

"You mean the Dark Mark? Yeah, Severus mentioned that he felt it burn as though another Death Eater were trying to find a new rallying point," she said faking innocence. "Is everything okay?"

"Apparently someone's been cursing it, or so Minister Shacklebolt says," Harry shrugged. "He wants you to go check back up on it in a week or so. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Sarah said eagerly agreeing.

This was perfect, she calculated – it gave her the chance to set up the final plague on another time release spell. Anyone with half a brain knew that it was the plagues recreated from Genesis, with a twist, and that their safest bet was to keep going to church. She'd release it twelve hours after they got back, at the exact time that she was talking to the Minister, and when they got there, nobody would be for the wiser since her magical barrier would still be up and everyone would still be terrified.

Sure enough, the plagues unfolded just as she wanted and planned, and her teacher ended up going to the psychiatric ward in the hospital for ratting off that she was alive and that she was the one who tortured him. She smiled, recalling writing 'Monstrosity' on his underwear line in his skin, as well as the Japanese character for 'bastard' on his back, again with the knife. She reported that she felt nothing amiss, and that she felt like she was going to puke. To her astonishment, Poppy reported to her, Severus, and the headmistress that she was pregnant. Minister Shacklebolt shook his head and decided to leave her be for a while. Obviously, being a bounty hunter for the Ministry would have to wait until after her baby was born. Severus, however, was making the most of this opportunity and had her brewing more and more potions. Within days, she had a small stack of them, all brewed at her own hands.

"Sarah," Severus said on Easter Sunday. "There's something I want to tell you."

"Yes, love?" she asked, looking up at him. "What is it?"

"I – Minister Shacklebolt has been reviewing the Potion you're going to be brewing and tampering with for your final test. He approves of it, and as do I, and he says that if you succeed in brewing this before your birthday, you'll be the youngest Potions Mistress in the history of Hogwarts," Severus explained, and her eyes immediately became alight. "I became a Potions Master at age twenty-one, almost twenty-two."

"Wow," she murmured. "Even if it was after my birthday, you're the only other one that has such abilities and prowess of the title. That – wow, Severus. I'd be honored to share that title with you, my love!"

He smiled, knowing that with her brains and abilities, her powerful Anti-Cruciatus potion would possibly be able to rescue someone from St. Mungo's permanent residency wards. His thoughts went to Frank and Alice Longbottom, as well as a great deal of others that Bellatrix tortured into insanity. If she succeeded with the potion, which he had no doubt that she would, she would be regarded as a heroine among the medical profession. She would, by far, out-rank him in the fight against the Unforgivable curses.

A/N: Latin – English; next phrase

Sanguine Agua! – Blood Water; Die remissionis plaga verbarate! – Day release plague barrage; Socium custos! – Ally guardian; Rana examen! – Frog swarm; Fugere summonitionem! – Fly summons; Destruens Locusta impetum! – Destroying Locusts Attack; Morbo lator! – Illness bringer; Insecta manducare carnem! – Insects to eat flesh; Grando ignis! – Hailstorm of fire; Lepra percussor! – Leprosy smiter; Hortum umbras! – Garden of shadows; Ultimum forte sui vocare! – last chance self summon; Revalare verum animalis intra! – reveal true animal within


	34. Back in Black

Chapter 34 – Back in Black

Come August, Sarah was heavily pregnant, and in her seventh month with Severus Snape's child, and loving every minute. Minerva had already paid her the ten galleons, and was even paying a visit to the younger feline animagus on a weekly basis to see how she was doing. The potion was complete, had been tested on Frank and Alice Longbottom, and it was a startling discovery to the Ministry that it worked miracles and returned them to their normal sanity. It was with great pride that Severus handed the title of youngest potions master/mistress to her, and she would have happily started teaching at Hogwarts if she weren't pregnant. As it was, they decided to tag-team again this year. She would help Poppy and Severus with their healing and grading essays, and in return, she received a teacher's salary.

"So, congratulations on the title of Potions Mistress, and the baby," Molly Weasley said as she, too, paid the young witch a visit. "Will it be a boy or a girl?"

"We're going to wait until the baby is born to find that out," Severus said taking a seat beside Sarah and putting a protective hand on her abdomen. "We'd prefer the surprise since we already got all green clothes for him or her."

"Of course, Slytherin color," Molly chuckled. "I'd be happy to help you once the baby's born. It wouldn't be any kind of hassle since most of my grandchildren are at Hogwarts now, Severus. Actually, Rosie has been quite shocked about how much Sarah's personality resembles yours, but I just can't see it!"

"Yes, well, she's most definitely earned the reputation that she worked for," he chuckled. "She was using a combination of my teaching methods with her own kindness and short temper. Quite the feral combination, and is quite possibly the only class than could be compared to having the scariness, or more so, than mine."

"I still can't see it," Molly said confused. "Oh well. Hermione wanted to congratulate you as well. She feels so guilty about being such a prat when you told her your grades, Sarah. Ronald, however, is being as stubborn as ever."

"I'll drop him a line and remind him that we can easily make his kids pay for his thick-headedness that could cost him dearly someday," Sarah smiled with an evil gleam in her eyes. Molly's eyes widened, now seeing where the rumors were coming from. "Yes, I can be quite scary and evil when I want to be. That's one reason I wound up in Slytherin. The hat noticed that I had equal qualities for each house, and went with my opinion on the houses. I didn't want Hufflepuff, as that would bring shame on a student of Severus'. I didn't want Ravenclaw, I was – and still am – too lazy for that. Gryffindor was risky, I knew that they'd all hate me and want me dead for being Severus' student, but I knew that Slytherin would be the same way except for the reason that I was Muggle born. I went with Slytherin to make Severus proud, and for him to be able to keep a better eye on me."

"Well," Severus said standing up. "Sarah and I have some more packing to do before we head back to Hogwarts for the school year. It was nice seeing you again, Molly."

Molly nodded and apparated back to the Burrow, and Sarah sighed in exhaustion as the witch finally left her home. Severus smirked softly, knowing that she would only be getting more and more tired as her due date loomed closer. He'd have to keep her locked up in their quarters except for mealtimes and when she was with Poppy. It made him quite happy to be able to see her so heavily pregnant, and it was odd for him to be feeling so much pride in a child that wasn't even born yet. Severus brought his lips to her right cheek, and she opened her weary eyes to give him a _what-are-you-plotting-now _look. He chuckled, and began rubbing circles on her stomach and singing a soft lullaby for the duo.

Her eyes closed against her will, and she was soon fast asleep. Severus knew what was coming on September first, mere days away, and had already made plans to put her on board the Hogwarts Express in order to keep her, and the baby, safe since apparating was no longer an option for them. Spinner's End had been somewhat cleaned out, and the spare bedroom had been converted into a nursery for their upcoming child and summer. Severus flinched, knowing that all three of the Potter children were now going to be at Hogwarts. Harry had taken back up the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and had even enlisted Sarah's help into grading his essay paperwork as well.

O.O.O.O

Sarah sat down two hours early on the Hogwarts Express, without any luggage to bog her down except her new familiar, a strange talking raven that called himself "Skullduggery". He had somehow begun to make her laugh after her miscarriage, and was, in a way, just what the doctors had ordered for her. She smiled as Severus left to go back to the final staff meeting of Hogwarts just before the school year began, and wasn't at all surprised to find the three Potter children coming into the compartment even though many, many more were completely empty.

"Excuse me?" a young ginger female said warily, "Um, may we sit here, ma'am?"

"Sure," she smiled. "You must be Lily Potter. Hello again, James, Albus."

"Hello, Professor Snape," they greeted, and Lily's eyes widened at the black-clad witch. "It's okay, Lils, this one's the nicer one that dad was substituting for whenever she had Ministry business or if the mean Professor Snape was in a potions accident. No offense."

"You'd best be happy I can't do anything yet, boys," Sarah teased, "But, then again, I probably won't be able to do much anyways, what with this little one so close to being ready."

"Wow, so the rumors were true at the end of last year," Albus said with his green eyes twinkling, "You really are pregnant!"

"Is – is it safe?" Lily asked worriedly, and Sarah couldn't help but laugh at the first year's antics.

"Yes, I'm fine, and so is the baby. I'm a Potions Mistress now, so you won't have to worry about anything too terrible happening to you. Besides, I learned seven years of schooling in one year, passing my NEWT exams with better grades than your aunt Hermione. You don't have to worry about a thing," Sarah soothed. "Come on in, take a seat. Don't be shy, I won't bite. Besides, I've already got food in my bag for when I do get hungry, as well as a few prenatal potions that the Potions Professor insisted I bring with me."

"Is it true?" Lily asked, "Is his hair really oily all the time?"

"No," Sarah grimaced. "It's silky. It just looks greasy because it's always shiny. No, _I'm _the one in the family with the oily hair issue, which I make sure to wash every day since the Potions brewing always makes it even more oily."

"Oh. Then why's he called the greasy bat of the dungeons?" Lily asked, and the two boys' eyes widened in shock. "Is he an animagus?"

"Yes, actually, he is," Sarah admitted. "But I'm not allowed to tell anyone his form. I promised him that I wouldn't, but I will tell you that if you look at him just right when he's about the castle, he'll look like a bat sometimes."

Lily's questions never ceased all the way there, and Sarah was happily answering as many as she wanted, so long as it was within reason and not too terribly private. James and Albus eventually joined in the questioning, and Lily was eventually comfortable enough to sit next to Sarah and put a hesitant hand on the older witch's abdomen. When the trolley came, Sarah noted that they looked longingly at the sweets but didn't have any money on them. She smirked, and bought four of each of their favorite products. Licorice wands, Berty Bott's Every Flavor Bean, Chocolate Frogs, and Pumpkin pasties soon were passed around amongst the four of them. Scorpius Malfoy entered at that moment, ready to tease the trio, but stopped when he saw one of his two heads of houses. He swallowed, and took off in the opposite direction terrified of what she'd say or do to him.

"How'd you do that?" Lily asked as she paused before a bite of the Pumpkin Pastry she was eating. "Al said nobody can control Malfoy except the head of Slytherin house."

"Which I am one," Sarah said gently. "It's a role my husband and I fill together since we also fill the role of Potions Master/Mistress of the school together, as well as top Defense instructors. Thank heavens he's not the Deputy headmaster. That would drive me mad."

"Wow," Lily said shocked. "What's it like in Slytherin?"

"Well, I'm actually a Muggle born, so it was really, really rough for me," Sarah admitted. "My husband was sharing the position as head of house with his own Potions teacher at the time while he taught Defense, and he was so very angry when I almost died of hypothermia. One long lecture from him, threatening expulsion in the process, and the Slytherin house shaped up their attitudes overnight, literally! They were soon bending over backwards to apologize to me, when he was around. There was, however, a trio of Gryffindor students that attacked and nearly killed me. I still have no idea how they got in the common rooms and dormitories in the first place, but those boys were expelled immediately for what they tried, and at that point I was moved into having a separate room in Professor Snape's quarters for extra protection since it seemed to everyone that the vast majority of the student body wanted me dead or permanently incapacitated."

"Were you expelled?" James asked with his mouth full of food, and he ducked his head in shame as Sarah shot him a motherly scolding look.

"No, you dunderhead," Lily said, "She graduated with better grades than aunt Hermione, remember? Do you ever pay attention whenever someone outside the family is talking?"

"No," Albus said with a grin, and Sarah could tell they'd have gotten in a fight then and there should she not have been there. "Best watch yourself, Lily. Mum might be upset if you're not in Gryffindor, and dad's parents might just roll over in their graves."

"Shut up!" Lily cried out, and Sarah shot the two boys another warning glare that immediately shut their mouths for the rest of the trip. "It's not funny! It's not fair!"

"Shh, Miss Potter," Sarah soothed, "I know how you feel. My older brothers were the same way towards me, only worse during my childhood."

"Really?" the first year asked, and the adult nodded. "Should we go get changed?"

"Yes. Boys, go to the bathroom to get changed. You guys call it 'the loo', but Lily, you'll be changing with me and I'll make sure nobody sees you," Sarah soothed, and the trio set about to their business. Lily stared in awe as Sarah kept singing softly to her swollen abdomen, singing dark songs with dark lyrics, something that honestly upset her. "It's not that I'm a dark witch, little one, it's that the baby likes the songs. My husband taught them to me."

"Can you read minds?" Lily asked, and Sarah shrugged.

"Sometimes. It takes practice, but the real term for it is 'Legilimency', or 'Legilimens'. My husband taught it to me while he was trying to teach me Occlumency, the art of shielding one's mind," she explained as the sun began setting. "Well, it's a good thing that I'm deputy headmistress this year. It makes rounding up the first years only so much easier. That, and it gives me a reason to get paid."

"Wow," Lily said as the train pulled into Hogsmeade. Sarah smiled, getting up from her seat, with a little help from the two boys. "Is being pregnant always that hard?"

"Sometimes," Sarah admitted. "But it's worth it whenever my husband smiles for seemingly no reason whatsoever."

"Wow, Professor Snape _smiles_?" the two boys asked in unison. Sarah shot them a playful look that told them to watch their mouths, but she couldn't help but smile at their antics and try not to laugh. "Is that even possible?"

"Leave your things, the house elves will get them," Sarah ordered, but the boys kept persisting in their questions about their Potions Master.

"I sincerely hope you're not talking about me," a dark voice said from their left as the four of them left the train. The youth froze, and Sarah shuddered in mirth.


	35. Return to Hogwarts

Chapter 35 – Return to Hogwarts

"Lily, go with the other first years to the boats," Sarah ordered, and the tiny redhead scampered off as she was told. "Boys, get in the carriages, now."

"Sarah," Severus growled. "What were you all talking about?"

"Filch," she replied smoothly. "They were thinking that he never smiled since they have yet to see it, whereas you've smiled a lot these past few years. They were just too ignorant to figure it out."

"Come," he said as he stalked off. "Sarah, come on. you still have your duties as deputy headmistress. Why, oh why Minerva appointed you, I'll never know."

"It's because I've got the least on my plate of all the teachers," she retorted. "Well, aside from the baby, that is. Besides, I don't think it wise to be going up all those stairs. Did you have something better in mind?"

"Yes, actually," he sneered. "Thestral. Or would you prefer a broomstick ride from yours truly?"

"No, thestral will do," she said warily, and he pulled one out that was pregnant with a sharp whistle. "A pregnant one? Do you not see the irony in this?"

He simply smirked as he handed her the reigns and headed off silently into the night. She shook her head as she mounted the large animal side-saddle, and relished the fact that it was careful with her as it flew, taking great heed not to drop her. it was wise, that was for sure, and she relished the feel of it hitting the ground with a very soft landing in the courtyard. She headed up, James and Albus Potter chatting away merrily with their cousins, and was out of breath by the time she reached the stairwell for the Great Hall. Just as she'd caught her breath, the first years arrived.

"Thanks for bringing them the extra ways for me, Hagrid," she breathed, and he nodded, "That helps a lot. Alright, you lot, Welcome to your first year at Hogwarts. Before we begin, you'll need to be sorted into your four houses: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. While you're at Hogwarts, your houses will be as your families. Breaking rules will cost you points, achievements will earn you points depending on the teacher or achievement. Now, as soon as I get the signal, we can begin. Any questions? Yes?"

"Why are you here if you're pregnant?" one boy asked, and she smirked and put on her best dungeon-bat glare to get him to swallow in fear.

"Because, little one, I'm a teacher here, albeit a substitute one to help Madame Pomfrey and two others whenever they need it, as well as deputy headmistress and co-head of Slytherin house. If you have a problem with that, just wait it out and see what happens," she smirked, and the boy nodded fearfully just before she went back to her cheerful demeanor. "Now, are there any other questions that don't have to do with my teaching position and/or pregnancy?"

"Is your husband on staff?" one of the girls asked, and Sarah couldn't help but laugh and nod. "Is he nice?"

"That would depend on your version of nice," Sarah replied vaguely with a twinkle in her eyes just before Severus' patronus – a startling large bat – appeared and nodded, "Next – oh, never mind. It looks like we're ready for you."

She led the students down the hall, waving at them to form a line and to remain calm. They did as they were motioned to do, with Severus and some of the others watching closely for any signs of trouble. She pointed her wand at a scroll on the headmistress' place, and the names were immediately flown into her hands. The hat was already on the stool, she noted, and a few of the students gasped as it opened its mouth to sing its yearly song.

(Insert song here).

"When I call your name, step forward and put the hat on," Sarah instructed, looking down at the first name. 'Oh, joy.' "Abbot, Patricia."

Lily Potter, to everyone's mortal surprise, was sorted into Slytherin. Sarah was very pleased, and to everyone's shock, the Slytherin house was the house that gained the most new recruits that year, topping at a startling twenty. Severus winced as two more Weasleys were sorted, but both into his house. He shook his head, this was _not _going to be a pleasant seven school years. Well, unless it was Sarah that was going to deal with them. When the final student was placed in Hufflepuff, Severus banished the stool with a lazy flick of his wand as Sarah took the hat back to the staff room.

"Now, before we begin," the headmistress began, "Welcome to new students, and to our returning ones, Welcome back! The forbidden forest is named such for a reason, do not go in there unless it is for a detention alongside a teacher. Secondly, Professor Harry Potter has returned to take back his position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Third, our own Professor Sarah Snape has returned to help three Professors in particular to help lighten their work load, as well as co-head of Slytherin house alongside Professor Severus Snape. As you can see, they're co-heads for a reason, so don't get any bright ideas about hurting her or her unborn child. I'm sure your dreaded Potions Master will ensure that the rest of your stay in school will be most unpleasant if you do. And, with that said, let the feast begin!"

The food appeared, and Lily looked up at her new heads of houses to find them smirking, and looking right over at their new students. Sarah's eyes held a sparkle that Severus hadn't seen in a while, even though he knew she was getting tired from the late night, and eating was one of the few things that kept her awake. Even then, though, she still managed to nod off with the spoon so close to her mouth that the mashed potatoes (which she would never have been able to stomach before getting pregnant) smeared on her nose. Severus was now smirking and trying his hardest not to laugh as he gently shook her arm to keep her awake. She, in turn, almost passed out on him, and to his utter astonishment, he noted that she was more than just tired now. With each passing minute, she was closer to falling asleep in her chair, and so he did the one thing that he knew would wake her up without a doubt: put his hand on her gut. She snapped alert, just as he suspected she would, and sighed with relief that it was just her husband, albeit she was already exhausted. He smirked, reporting that she had potatoes on her nose, and to which she struggled to wipe off. He chuckled in amusement as she tried to use her tongue to get it off instead of using her wand like a normal person.

She, in turn, out of amused rage, picked up her plate and rammed his face with it, much to everyone's horror. This seemed to do the trick, and for the first time since her miscarriage, she laughed so hard she was crying and red in the face. Severus was smirking and chuckling, but hiding it well by shaking with mirth, a dark gleam in his eyes that screamed that he would eventually exact his revenge on her. he cleaned himself up with a flick of his wand, shaking his head as his wife continued to shake with laughter that was now almost choking her. All students but the first years were deadly silent, and the newcomers were soon silent as a result. The faculty tables were startled by the silence of the students and had turned to the source of the foreign laughter only to see Severus Snape flicking his wand and cleaning himself off while his wife laughed hysterically for the first time since the previous November.

The faculty couldn't help but burst out into laughter as well, knowing that if she was laughing again, she was feeling alright and was over her miscarriage from the year before that her sister-in-law had caused. The students gradually began talking again, with the Slytherin house joining in on their heads of house's emotions of laughter and silent amusement. Gryffindors were plotting against Slytherin for a food fight, and soon the Hufflepuff's were plotting a snowball fight to team up with Gryffindor against Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Ravenclaw, however, was content with staying out of the fray and ignoring their new professor's antics for amusement. By the time Sarah calmed down, Severus had had to put his hand over her mouth to shut her up.

Finally, at about ten o'clock, at which time Sarah was beginning to nod off again, the headmistress dismissed the students and faculty to return to their dormitories. The two prefects led the new first years to their various locations, and Sarah was happily standing next to Severus when the students first arrived. The way she was looking at the students reminded them of their mothers, ironically, and they somehow didn't feel as homesick anymore. Severus, on the other hand, was terrifying to them, and he spent a good half-hour lecturing them about the rules and to go to the Prefects before him, and if that didn't help, to go to Sarah first so long as she wasn't asleep or caring for their baby. Sarah snickered, and Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something you'd like to add, Sarah?" he asked darkly.

"Yes. I'm sure they'll be wondering if they can help us with our potion brewing and paper grading for extra credit," she began. "I was also thinking that if they wanted to, they could help babysit on those days that we're exhausted."

"You'd really trust one student's grade into the care of another? And here I was thinking I taught you better than that," Severus scoffed. "And there is no way in hell that I'm trusting our child into the care of a batch of teenagers. If anything were to happen, I'd blame you."

"Oh, so me getting pregnant is my fault? Is that what you're saying?" she retorted, her temper rising.

"No, I'm saying that if our child were to get hurt, you'd be at fault for trusting him or her into the care of a teenager," Severus shot back. "Although we both know that you becoming pregnant is your fault because of your lack of care for anything in life after the miscarriage last November!"

"Oh, so now it's _my _fault I'm pregnant? In case you hadn't noticed, there's no way in hell for me to be able to get pregnant without the male reproductive cells, which, in case you hadn't noticed, _I don't have!_"

"Oh, so it's my fault? If you hadn't forced their hands into blackmailing us to get you pregnant, this never would have happened in the first place!"

"I wouldn't have acted that way if I hadn't had a miscarriage!" she shot back venomously.

"How the hell is it my fault that you had the miscarriage?" he yelled back just as loudly.

"Because it was your bitch of a sister that tortured me with the Cruciatus curse in front of the students in Defense Against the Dark Arts last year!" she shot back. "And while I'm at it, she kept screaming at me about whatever crap you did back before we were married!"

Severus paled, knowing he'd lost the argument. It _was _his sister's fault, after all, and she _was _still furious for him being a Death Eater, spy for the light or not. He pinched the bridge of his nose, holding back his negative emotions and trying to put his Occlumency shields back up to no avail. It was useless, he'd had no choice but to concede this defeat. His sister was a filthy hypocritical traitor after all – she'd done to Sarah what she'd scorned at Severus for doing to countless other Muggle-born students.

"Fine," he spat venomously. "Fine. Go to bed, I'll deal with you later. Now!"

"No!" she shot back. "I'm not a child!"

"No, but you've got one inside you, so get to bed before I force you to!" he shouted back, glaring at her harshly.

"Fine," she said quietly, tears forming in her eyes. "All you care about is getting a bloody heir. I'm just the means you're using to get one. I see where I stand. I hope you rot in your own potions!"

She stormed out of the common rooms, walked up to Salazar Slytherin, gave the password, and requested to change it. he looked at her confused, and relented as he saw the tears forming in her eyes and her protruding gut. no doubt the result of a lover's quarrel, he knew, and he so loved to cause chaos, and this was the perfect chance. He smiled as she gave the new password – Thanatos Eater, with Thanatos being the Greek word for death. She really was a genius in her own right – and with that he swung open to permit her into her private quarters. She ripped her black robes off, throwing her black scarf from Severus into the deepest pit of her trunk, and put her pajamas on in a rage. She was so angry and hurt at his words, she knew that she'd hurt him as well, but she didn't care. To Sarah, all she was to severus was a means to carry his heir. She was almost tempted to drink contraception, but she'd die if she killed the baby now, and she knew it. Within a few minutes, she could hear him shouting at her, begging her to forgive him.

"Good," she frowned as she got under the blankets of the bed they were supposed to share. "Let the entire castle hear you groveling and let them know how horrible you're acting."

"Sarah, please!" he begged loudly. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way! Please, love, I'm sorry! Just let me in! I'll sleep on the couch and give you as much privacy as you want, just let me in! Please, Sarah, don't do this!"

"I'd like to see you make me let you in," she smiled softly as his pleas became louder and louder, lulling her into a deep sleep as a few more tears slid down the sides of her face.


	36. Lover's Quarrel

Chapter 36 – Lover's Quarrel

"Did you hear? The greasy git of the dungeons got kicked out of his own private quarters last night, James!" Albus Potter grinned excitedly. "Apparently Professor Sarah had a fit after he said something that was below the belt for her. I heard from one of the prefects who was running patrol and caught him with a warming charm asleep on one of the dungeon tables!"

"Nice! Good for her!" James grinned. "I wonder what he did…"

"Who cares?" Hugo Weasley butt in. "I say let the Dungeon bat get what he deserves after all those horrible things he did to our parents! It's about time someone brought him down a peg or two!"

Severus strode by mere moments after Hugo's words died down, dark bags under his eyes. The rest of the staff's eyes widened, realizing that the rumors of him getting kicked out of his private quarters were true, and a few of them simply chuckled and shook their heads, muttering that that was why there weren't supposed to be married couples on staff together. The Slytherin house wasn't at all shocked at her ultimatum and actions, knowing that she didn't normally act like that and was usually brushing off Severus' snide remarks and comments off like they were nothing to her. This, however, was completely new to them, and they had no idea where to go with this except to get Midna and Lily in Sarah's quarters to calm her down.

"Severus, good morning," Minerva smiled warmly as he took a seat next to her silently. "You look tired. Did you sleep well?"

"I'd like to see you get a good night's sleep while sleeping on a table in the dungeon," he snapped. "No, I was harshly kicked out of my quarters last night by a very irate Sarah, who kept rattling off nonsense about me caring only for the baby and not her."

"Ah. Don't worry, Severus, it's just her hormones talking. You know she doesn't mean that," the older animagus soothed. "Although, knowing you, it still smarts and you probably feel a little guilty, if you can feel that anymore."

"Yes, Minerva, I feel guilty, and I did as soon as those words left her mouth," he snapped. He sighed, starting at the beginning of the night and telling her everything up to the point of him being forced to sleep on the dungeon table because Sarah had changed the password and wouldn't let him in. "I feel so horrid, I'm not even hungry. She's probably furious right now."

"I daresay she would be," Harry said appalled. "After that little spat, it's no wonder she's upset. I remember when Ginny was pregnant, though – she was much, much moodier than normal when she was carrying Albus. Oh, it was creepy. It was like she was trying to personify you – no offense."

Severus scoffed and stormed off to his office to let out all his pent up emotions. He, at long last, released all his pent up emotions that he'd been holding in over the years, and was almost surprised to find that it felt strangely good to let it all out in one fell swoop of timing and letting the tears fall down his face and onto the floor. Within moments of his eyes drying out, he wiped his face, washed it in warm water, and left to go teach Potions. He knew he probably wouldn't be seeing Sarah for a while, she _was _still furious with him, no doubt, and sent a Patronus to Minerva to ask for her help in getting him and Sarah back together. Severus scowled, unsure of how to continue, and he knew that he'd be spending more than just that one night on a desk if Sarah had anything to say about it.

Harry walked in about halfway through the class, grinning like a cat that had just eaten a canary. He stood and cast a powerful muffling charm around the two of them, and immediately brought up an idea to Severus that the Potions Master hadn't thought of before – get Salazar Slytherin to reveal the password to him in Parseltongue. He nodded, motioning for him to go try it, and Harry left. When Harry returned five minutes later, he was utterly confused.

"All he would say was that it was from your past and was in a foreign language," Harry said shrugging in confusion. "He said that it was important to you and your family."

"Okay, something to do with being a former Death Eater," Severus considered quietly. "Death translated is probably what we're looking for. Leave it to her to leave one of the two words in English to confuse me. Okay, Korosu is Japanese. Töten is German. Sí is Mandarin Chinese. What else is there?"

"Greek. Thanatos," Harry replied. "It's worth a try. I'll keep an eye out and make sure nothing blows up while you go test it out."

"Thanks," Severus said and walked to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. "Korosu Eater. Töten Eater. Sí Eater?"

"No, no, and you're not even trying," the portrait said sourly. "Good grief, what are you, stalking this poor woman?"

"She's my wife, I'm supposed to be sleeping in there," Severus said coolly. "Thanatos Eater?"

"Fine," he grumbled, but Severus caught him. "What, you don't want in?"

"Not right now, no," he said with a sigh. "However, I just needed to figure out what my wife changed the password to. Why did she change it? do you know?"

"She was sobbing last night, I thought it best that she was alone and let her change the password," he shrugged. "She hasn't come back out since."

"I noticed," Severus said darkly as he walked back to the classroom. "Got it. Crazy woman used Greek for the password!"

"Wierdo," Harry grinned. "Well, I wish you the best of luck. Something tells me you're going to need it."

Severus sneered as Harry dashed back to the DADA classroom where his Patronus was keeping charge and making sure nobody got out of line. Severus, however, was exhausted, and sent his students out, giving all of the rest of the classes writing prompts for three foot essays. He went back to his chambers to find that Sarah had moved all her things out of his room, and into the spare one that they'd set up with an extra bed for them to take care of their upcoming child. To be perfectly honest, he was almost surprised that she hadn't gone home, but then again, it would have put her and the baby in more danger than anything else.

He didn't dare approach Sarah yet, not while she was still so angry, but he still wanted to let her know that he still cared for her for who she was and not just because she was carrying his child. He sighed, sitting down to write the letter, finally finding the right words after about two hours of trying desperately. He put the parchment on the door with a sticking charm, knowing that if Sarah was still angry with him she'd tear it up and burn it, so he put protection charms on it so that she couldn't do so until she finished reading it. it was about an hour later that Sarah came walking (or more of waddling because she had gotten so big) into the room he'd like to have been sleeping at. She shook him, and he immediately woke up and began profusely apologizing. She stared at him as he did so nonstop, and didn't open her mouth to speak until he finally ran dry of ways to apologize.

"I'm partially to blame," she said at last. "I should have known you didn't mean it that way and that you were just looking out for me _and _the baby at the same time since what happens to one of the two affects the other directly as well, no matter how you dice it. Sev, I'm really sorry for being a bitch and kicking you out of our quarters. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course," he said immediately before yawning. "I apologize for being such an insensitive jerk."

"Well, that's that," she smiled just before wheezing as she went to sit down on the bed, clutching her stomach in pain.

"What's wrong? Is it coming?" he asked panicked, and she shook her head slowly. "Did it kick you too hard?" she nodded, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was looking forward to fatherhood, but he still had a ways to go before he was fully ready yet.

"Maybe we should move me to the hospital wing," she wheezed.

"No, you'll need to be walking up there when you're in labor. It will take your mind off of some of the pain, at least," Severus said shaking his head. He had spent most of his summer researching parenthood techniques, and how to handle the fact that your wife was in labor and how to best help her. "Do you want me to be there for when the baby is born?"

"Not if it takes you out of classes, I don't," she scowled. "Besides, we'll need a little more time to get ready, don't you think? I don't think it will be wise to have you in such a stressful environment. You can stay so long as it's in between dinner and breakfast or on the weekend, I promise."

Severus couldn't help but smile at her promise, hoping that he'd be able to be there for his child's birth.


	37. Angels and Daemons

Chapter 37 – Angels and Daemons

Halloween had always been unpleasant for Severus Snape since Lily Potter's death, but it was more so this year than ever before. He was to be found pacing in his Potions classroom the entire day without even a hint of entry into the Hospital Wing from Poppy. He continued to keep the door just barely open for Poppy Pomfrey's patronus – a squirrel – for the news as to Sarah's health status. It had been at eight oclock, just after dinner that Sarah had had her first labor pang on the thirtieth, and it was now eleven in the morning of Halloween. So, in short, he was miserable as he was in class. Even terrorizing the students and docking points didn't help him feel any better, which was saying something since those were some of his favorite things to do while he was in class.

Meanwhile, Sarah was just as miserable, if not more so. She, too, was pacing, only it was around the Hospital wing as Poppy tried to get her contractions to speed up with the newborn. It would be the first time in Hogwarts history that a child was born on school grounds, but the staff (well, _most _of them) took great pleasure knowing that it would be Poppy's watchful eyes to keep an eye on the young duo as the time came for the newborn to come into the world.

With each new labor pain, Sarah was wishing that she had a patronus here at her side, but each time her pains hit, her patronus would fade, and Poppy's wasn't doing much good for her either. She knew whose patronus she needed, but unfortunately he would be too busy teaching and terrorizing the students in the dungeons to be able to keep his own patronus up for very long. She had eaten breakfast in silence, and was preparing to each lunch, all of which consisted of very soft foods that would be easy for her to digest.

By the time two oclock rolled around, she was physically exhausted, but unable to sleep. Poppy Pomfrey had a hard time getting her onto a bed, but was finally able to do so to comfort the soon-to-be-mother who was immediately asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows, with a body-numbing charm cast on Sarah's sleeping frame so that she would be able to stay asleep and wait it out for the baby to come.

Severus was never so tempted to destroy something as he was that Halloween day, and the students and faculty alike all sensed his unease with his situation. It was a Friday, meaning that he had all the time in the world as soon as Minerva would let him leave the stupid Halloween feast. Sadly, she wouldn't until Poppy sent her patronus down to him to let him know that they were ready for him.

The feast began with a moment of silence to honor Lily and James Potter, as well as all others who died in the war against Voldemort, and Severus wasn't eating very much when the food appeared. The headmistress simply shook her head while Harry put his arm on the potions master's back reassuringly, saying that he'd been forced to stay at work while Ginny was in labor with Lily.

By the time eight pm came and went, Severus was now in full blown panic mode. He had read that it was unhealthy for a woman to be in labor for more than twenty hours, and it had now been twenty-four that Sarah had been in labor. Harry had begun to keep his eyes peeled for any sign of any patronus, as well as his arm latched onto Severus' to keep the older (now younger) wizard from darting upstairs.

0O0O0O0

"Severus," Sarah was whining in Poppy's personal quarters. "I want Severus!"

"No, you daft girl! Now push!" the mediwitch ordered, and Sarah shook her head stubbornly. "Push, or the baby won't come!"

"I want Severus! he needs to see this," the animagus whined, her pain building. "I want Severus! I _need _Severus! Please, Poppy, just let him in! Please!"

"No! now start pushing or Severus won't be allowed in here for another week!" the mediwitch ordered and Sarah was forced to push and try to bring her child into the world, knowing that the woman would very well do something so cruel to them. "Harder!"

"I'm trying!" she shot back, tears forming at her eyes. "This hurts, you know!"

"Yes, I can tell by the tears you're shedding! Now, push! Push as hard as you can!"

"What part of '_I'm trying as hard as I can'_ do you not understand, you blasted medic?" Sarah yelled in pain as her child came closer. "Ugh! How much longer?"

"Not too long now," the mediwitch soothed. "the baby's head is close to coming. Just a few more pushes and you'll be a mother. Come on, just a little longer."

"What time is it?" Sarah whined as more pain racked her while she attempted to push. "Poppy!"

"You're almost there," the older witch soothed. "I can see the head. You're doing wonderfully. Just a few more and – oh!"

"Gah!" Sarah gasped as her child's tiny head came into Poppy's waiting hands. "OW! Ow!"

"Just a little more, I've got the head, and now stomach," the older witch encouraged. "Come on, Sarah, just a little longer!"

"No more," she whined loudly. She was startled to feel the pain decrease drastically as she heard her child take its first breath and begin screaming loudly. "My baby… oh, so cute… just like its papa…"

"His papa," Poppy corrected as she placed the newborn on his mother's stomach. "I'll send my patronus to Severus to let him know he has a son."

"No, surprise him," Sarah murmured as her son began feeding greedily. "Middle name is Severus… let him pick the first name…"

"You're out of your mind," Poppy said shaking her head.

"No, just stubborn," the younger witch retorted as her eyelids closed in exhaustion.

0O0O0O0

To everyone's surprise in the Great Hall, the squirrel patronus came flying through the window, straight up to the staff table and landed in front of the Potions master, to which he turned and was granted immediate permission to leave the festivities. He was immediately up and out of his chair and racing across the Great Hall as fast as his legs could carry him. Both student and staff alike were astounded by this since the man had hitherto never shown emotion unless it was towards Sarah. Then, as if in unison, it clicked and the students turned to Minerva for the news, who shrugged and told them that she would announce the name and gender of the new Snape as soon as she received word of it.

As the Great Hall was speculating, Severus was racing as fast as he could, his heart pounding with adrenaline and excitement. Thoughts of gender and the two names he had picked out for the child ran through his head, and he was hardly slowed down by the Hospital Wing doors, and had been forced to finally slow down and catch his breath as the startled mediwitch looked at him and almost shook her head in disgust. He approached her door, but froze when she motioned for him to remain put.

"Severus, meet your son," the mediwitch whispered as she placed the tiny bundle in his arms. "Sarah wanted you to name him. She's fine, just asleep. He's already eaten, I promise."

"He's a Halloween baby, so… Daemon," Severus decided. "Daemon…"

"Daemon Severus it is," Poppy said, and his eyes snapped to her. "Sarah picked his middle name just before passing out. The little prat was greedy enough when he was eating, he was."

"Daemon," Severus whispered. "I have a son. I'm a father. Holy basilisks, I'm a dad…"

"and it's about time, too," the mediwitch said calmly. "Here, let me see him for a moment. Well, he's perfectly healthy, Severus, you have nothing to fear as far as I know. Congratulations."

"Expecto Patronum!" Severus called out, and a startling snake burst out of his wand. "Let only Minerva hear your message. Sarah's fine and resting. Daemon Severus is healthy as well, and was received as an honorary Slytherin at twenty-two hours and ten minutes when he was born. Go!"

Poppy shook her head as she went to go back to clean up her office and private quarters.

0O0O0O0

To the Great Hall's excitement, a snake patronus slithered into the halls about five minutes after their potions master left, meaning that he'd held the child and that the name had been decided. Only Minerva heard it, however, but she stood up to address the school.

"Professors Potter and Weasley are no longer the only parents on staff! Professors Snape welcomed their son Daemon Severus into their arms mere twenty minutes ago! Your Potions Master would also like to make mention that little Daemon is an honorary Slytherin! That is all," she said sitting down, and the students stared at her. they all knew that Daemon was a crazy name, and that it was Halloween and all, but to really name your kid that when their birthday was on Halloween? That was just wrong.

Except for the Slytherin house, that was the students' methods of thinking. The snakes, however, were cheering and excited that they had a new member, and an honorary one who was the first child in history to be born on school grounds. They were cheering and raising their goblets in toast to the good fortune of their heads of house, and Severus could vaguely hear them cheering from his location in the hospital wing, much to his amusement. Try as the students might to get off easy because of his new parenting duties, they were in for a harsh surprise if they thought he was going to relent and give them less homework.

"To Daemon and Professors Snape!" Lily Potter and Midna yelled out in unison over the roar, and the house immediately joined in. "To the Snape family!"

The teachers also raised their goblets, to which a good number more of the students, who had gotten on Sarah's good side and been considered almost friends with her, also raised their goblets to join in the toast. Severus sneezed off to his right just as Sarah sneezed in her sleep and Daemon sneezed gently for the first time. The proud father smirked, bringing his son closer to him, wearing his heart on his sleeve in a _very _Gryffindor fashion. Sure, the Marauders would give him hell for this if they were still alive, but then it was a good thing they weren't. he figured that they'd never let him live it down as he lay back in a bed.

He yawned, falling asleep with Daemon fast asleep on his chest, both wizards exhausted by the day's events. But it wasn't over yet, not by a long shot.

Severus was again in his dream state that he'd been in two years before when Lily had come to visit him in his dream. Sarah was twenty-one, just at the age Lily had been at when Harry was born. He stared at the redhead, his appeal for her completely gone now, and he bristled as the four Marauders appeared behind her, with his own parents falling in behind them.

"Severus," Lily began, "It's the second time we feel the need to visit you on Halloween. I have no quarrel except to say that I'm glad you took the chance and became the man that you've always deserved to be. You'll make the perfect father for your son, Severus, don't worry. I think it's time you made peace with your phantoms from your past. We'll start with the Marauders – I won't blame you if you don't forgive Wormtail – and then to your parents. Remus is still alive, so you'll have to work with him on your own."

Severus gaped as she retreated with a pop, leaving Wormtail behind in their wake, who was now cowering and shivering.


	38. Phantom Hourglass

Chapter 38 – Phantom Hourglass

"I'm sorry!" the rat animagus bawled as soon as the others were gone from sight. "I'm sorry! I never should have betrayed them! He'd have killed me if I hadn't! and – and it was _your _fault he had the prophecy!"

"Yes, I'm the reason he had the prophecy, but _you're _the reason he had access to their house," Snape shot back. "You disgust me. I'm glad you're dead and decaying in the bottom of Malfoy Manor. Get out of my sight!"

Wormtail cowered for a moment longer and disappeared with a pop, only to be replaced by none other than James Potter. Severus glared at him, and was honestly not expecting the lead Marauder to apologize at all. When he did, however, Severus was wary and startled.

"I know you're still mad at me for all those things I did when we were in school," James said slowly, "But I should have known that you'd have had a good reason for crying on the train. I'm really sorry, I should have taken the time to get to know you first. I'm sorry I started picking on you the day after your mother's death… "

"And why exactly are you sorry now? Why not before your death?" Severus asked coldly, folding his arms across his chest.

"I was, but I was just too ashamed to admit it to you and apologize. Lily explained it to me when she was pregnant with Harry that your house life was less than desirable, and that the only reason you were crying that day was because your mother had just been killed. I'm really sorry, Severus, and – and I want to thank you for protecting my son when nobody else could. I know a truce is too much to ask for, but I'd at least like to get to know you when you join us up here."

"I think that would work in both of our best interests since your son had begun to look at me as a long-lost uncle of sorts once the war was over. well, before the accident in sixth-year Potions class that sent my body back in time," Severus shrugged.

"I saw. I can't believe you pushed that kid aside to try to protect him. You may be a Slytherin, Snape, but you've got the guts of a Gryffindor as well now that the war's over. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but you'll make a fine father that I could never be. I gave my life to protect my son, and that danger is no longer around for you to worry about, but you'll be able to give your son the love and care that the Dursley's never gave to Harry. Speaking of which, Lily and I are going to go pay them a visit before the night is out. Is there anything you'd like to add to what we'll do to them?"

"I'd say to use the Unforgivable curses, but the simple Marauder-style terror will do," Severus smirked evilly. "I trust Lupin is alright with this?"

"Ah. That," James smiled. "Well, I'll have to work that out with him… he _is _still alive, after all."

"He is? I guess I'll have to make my peace with him in person," Severus huffed. "I'll see you again on the other side?"

"Yeah, and we can finally put this whole war behind us now," James said with a smile. "Again, I'm sorry that I was such a jerk."

James Potter disappeared just as Wormtail had, and Severus knew that the two were going to go torment Lily's sister and brother-in-law. To Severus' chagrin, Sirius Black was up next, and grinning like a fool.

"Just because you protected my godson, doesn't mean I have to apologize," he said cockily. "But, I suppose it's appropriate. James was yelling at me all year since last year for all the crap we put you through, which makes no sense to me. Something about your mom dying the day before you came to Hogwarts. Wait – oh! _That's _why you were crying on the Hogwarts Express!"

"Yes, Black, I was crying because my mother had just been murdered, leaving me to fend for myself in a world that hated me for living," Severus snapped, making it look like it was the Marauder's fault he hated life at the time. Which was partly true – his father was the other excuse, but black would never let him live it down.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said at last. "I had no idea… I'd have been glad if it was my parents that were killed, but when it comes to parents that love you… my god… I'm so sorry Sni-_Severus_."

"I suppose we can start off with a clean slate when I join you up there," Severus said at last. "So long as you promise not to do any pranks that would push things too far."

"Deal," Sirius said. "Do you want to become the fifth Marauder? We _could _visit Prongslet and tell him."

"Prongslet?"

"Harry is Prongs' son, so he's 'Prongslet'," Sirius explained. "You could be sharptooth, if you want. Do you have an animagus form?"

"Vampire bat," Severus said without thinking, and immediately wanted to _Accio _the words back into his mouth.

"Nice! Sharptooth sounds good for a bat. I was thinking you were a snake, but that works, too! Is your wife one? Never mind, we'll ask her when she joins up here after you," Sirius said putting his hands up to gesture for Severus to remain calm. "I think it will be a nice change to have you playing pranks alongside us instead of being the butt of them. Want to play it on Voldemort? He's been our main target since he was killed."

"Damn right I do!" Severus grinned, "I've got a score to settle with that bastard for taking away most of my adult life! _And _he set his familiar to try to kill me! Thank heavens I made an antidote and took it after your godson left the shack…"

"Time's running out," Sirius said looking at an hourglass on his necklace. "We've got limited time with you, and each of us has an hourglass to show how much time we've got left. Hey, good luck, your mom's coming up. I won't blame you if you start crying on her shoulder, and I'll _try _not to make fun of you for it."

He disappeared with another pop, and soon Eileen Prince Snape was standing in front of her son.

"Mother," Severus gasped and brought her into a fierce hug. "I missed you so much… I'm sorry I couldn't be the man you wanted me to be…"

"No, Severus," Eileen said fiercely. "Your father and I have been watching you ever since we died. I even put a piece of myself into your familiar at the time of my death. But that is beside the point. I'm proud of you son – even though you chose the side of the dark in the beginning, you saw the errors of your ways and tried to fix it. That takes so much more strength than to keep going like a coward. And to protect the son of your greatest childhood enemy – _that _is the markings of a true hero. You've become a better man than I ever could have hoped for. Your wife is proud for who you are, and she has every right to be, just as I do."

"You're not angry with me for choosing the dark side?"

"Severus, I _was _disappointed at first, until you diverged back to the light and began acting as a spy to protect your own skins. Now, I know what you're thinking – Tobias plays a part in why you did so since you weren't able to separate him from the rest of the Muggles at the time – and in a way, you're right for that, but Tobias wasn't in his right mind. your father always was an angry drunk, and wasn't at all happy with himself once he joined me up here. Severus, I've got the shortest time slot out of everyone tonight, but I want you to know that I love you, and that I always have, and always will," Eileen said holding him closer.

"I love you, too, mother," Severus whispered as he pulled away. "What about Samantha? What should I do?"

"Give her children a chance to make amends on her behalf," Eileen instructed before disappearing with a pop.

Severus looked around to find that Tobias was walking towards him, without the customary beer bottle in his hand, to Severus' surprise. He held his wand at the ready just in case, and the former drunk made no move to stop him from hexing or cursing him cruelly.

"I know you're mad at me, and I don't blame you, son. Your mother's right – you've become more of a man than I could have ever hoped to be. Helping to save the entire world from behind the scenes – I never would have been able to achieve it," Tobias said shaking his head.

"Now that we've established that I'm a better man than you are, and probably a better father, what do you want?" Severus asked coldly. "and where the hell is your beer? I believe you always had one on hand?"

"Yeah, but I was a fool to turn to drink after your momma's miscarriage," Tobias said, and Severus' eyes widened and he almost dropped his wand. "Yeah, I know, yer' upset. 'Twas right after Samantha was born, actually, and you two had been fighting and both had bouts of what yer' momma calls 'accidental magic'. Your momma had a miscarriage as a result of the projectile that had missed you as its target, and well – the baby was killed."

"That was when you lost your temper and began separating us," Severus realized. "I was three or four, right?"

"Yep. I didn't want it to happen again, but the miscarriage – it broke your momma's heart. It hurt me to see her broke like that, so I turned to drink. Your momma's already told yer' the problem with it, and I think you can figure out the rest. I felt so guilty, that I couldn't stop drinking to drown it out."

"Thus it created a viscious cycle of guilt and drunken stupor," Severus scowled. "What does that have to do with you being here?"

"I'm sorry, son, I really am! I shoulda known it was an accident and you and yer' sister didn' mean it to happen! I'm such a idiot! I'm so, so sorry," Tobias began sobbing, the first time that Severus had ever seen him with tears on his face in all their years. "I'm so sorry… and your momma… I was so distraught when you went to Hogwarts… I wanted to have you there at the funeral with me so I could apologize, but I couldn't. Samantha was at a boarding school, and she saw your mama's grave when she got back. she tried to kill me, but I wouldn't have it. after her sixth year at Beauxbatons, she tried again since she was of age and – I don't remember everything, I was drunk at the time…"

"What did she do now?" Severus asked tapping his foot. "She already caused my wife to have a miscarriage by torturing her with an illegal curse. The same one Lucius used on you, in fact."

"I – she tried to kill me by cutting off my member," he said at last. "She was naked, fresh out of the shower, and had stripped me naked. I was drunk, and she was a copy of your momma, just like you are. I mistook her for your momma's ghost and…"

"You _raped _Samantha?" Severus asked in disbelief, banishing his wand to its sheath. "Damn, Tobias! How'd she – what – mom-!"

"Oh, they were both pissed off at me, of course," he said at last. "When I came to, she was sobbing and screaming that she hated me and wanted me to die. She used some sort of curse to send the child into some sort of hibernation inside of a bottle. She passed it on to one of her kids, and… well, your half-sister's child is about six or seven, and your sister isn't happy at all. She named her Tobi and left her at Wool's orphanage. Your niece's kid still there, he's a – what do you call it? he can talk to snakes."

"What? How?" Severus asked quickly.

"Dunno. Your neice slept with that Voldy-person, making it partway his as well and giving the baby all of the guys' powers," Tobias said confused. "Why? Was he really that bad? Your niece was a half-blood and died trying to learn how to control her powers."

"Father, Voldemort was a Parselmouth, someone who can talk to snakes," Severus said quickly. "if I don't get him out of there and raise him right, he could become the next Voldemort! That's where Voldemort was as a child!"

"I'm sorry, son," Tobias said at last. "I really am. I didn't mean for him to be born, or for that to happen at all. Your sister was furious when she was born. She wanted to kill her, he was born a week after Halloween, but your momma and I put a stop to it. I told her I'd sic a Death Eater on her – you, son – and that she'd not live to tell the tale."

"I'm glad you told me this, father," Severus said. "Now we can finally start making amends to the little ones that we need to care for."

"I'm so sorry. Treat Tobi's child well, son," Tobias said as he faded into nothingness. Severus jolted awake just as the clock struck midnight.


	39. Heir of Slytherin

Chapter 39 – Heir of Slytherin

Severus quickly shook Sarah awake and explained his dream to her. Her eyes widened when he explained that he had a half-brother at Wool's that was just like Voldemort in powers. She nodded as she took Daemon, telling him to go tell the Headmistress of what he told her. he did so, and she stared in shock, wondering what nonsense he was prattling about an orphanage.

"Minerva, the orphanage Severus is speaking of is the one that Tom Riddle grew up in," Dumbledore said when she was confused. "The longer that Severus' half-brother is there, the more likely it is that he'll turn into another Lord Voldemort. The sooner we get him out of there, the better it is on us all, especially since Severus will be the one fixing any behavior problems the boy may have."

"Fine! Severus, go get the boy! I don't care!" Minerva said at last. "But make sure that he thinks you're his uncle!"

"I think it best that he know the truth as soon as he returns with me," the Potions Master said at last as he used the fireplace to get to Spinner's End.

He apparated to the front of Wool's, knocking on the door loudly. He knocked twice more, then began banging on the door with his fist. Finally, exasperated, he pulled out his wand just as he heard a woman coming downstairs. He sheathed his wand just as she yanked the door open.

"Whattaya want, bastard?" she asked drunkenly, "Cain't ya see we're closed? Come back later!"

"No, my nephew is here, and I have every intention of picking him up from this insane asylum. I've heard of your horrible reputation of the treatment you give these children, and I will not leave this doorstep or this facility until you give me my nephew!" he shot back angrily, "And don't think I don't know how to handle a drunk, I've dealt with them before all throughout my life! One false move, and I can have you within an inch of your life!"

"Fine," she grumbled, "What's the name?"

"Tom. Thomas Snape, I believe," Severus said angrily, and the woman contemplated.

"We ain't got no Tom Snape, but we got a Tom Riddle. Likes to do weird creepy stuff with is weird powers or summat. You want _that _little monster? Fine, you can take him! He keeps making my beer bottles explode anyways!" she yelled. "Wait here."

0O0O0O0

"Tibias! Snape! Riddle! Whatever yer' name is!" the woman shouted angrily as she hit the tiny seven year old. "Get up! Yer' Uncle's here to get yer and yer monster ass out of this place! Get out! Out! Screw packing, boy! Get out! OUT!"

"Yes, ma'am," he murmured as he dashed out of the room, wanting to hide his scars, he was wearing nothing but underwear as a punishment, and he was shaking with the cold. "Ma'am, can I have a pair of shorts, please?"

"NO! GET OUT OF MY ORPHANAGE, BASTARD MONSTER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, and the tiny boy was running out to the lobby, ramming into Severus' leg as he did so.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Severus growled to the woman, terrifying his nephew that was also his niece and Voldemort's child. "Did I not say that one false move would get you within an inch of your life?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, sir," Tom murmured, cringing in fear of the beating that he thought was coming. "I – I – I didn't mean for it to happen, sir."

"Get up and go get dressed. You're Tom, I presume?" Severus asked, and the boy nodded. "Very well, go get dressed. And woe betide anyone who gets in your way. Adults included. As for you, you drunken fool, you will be getting what's coming to you."

Tom re-entered the room just in time to see Severus pulling out his wand. His eyes widened, and Severus moved the boy so that he would be standing behind him as he cast the spell.

"Tom, watch closely what I do with my wand. Magic is real, and I am about to prove it to you. Revalare verum animalis intra!" Severus said pointing his wand at the orphanage caretaker, spinning it in complex movements. Tom's eyes never left his uncle's wand, but when he saw what was happening to his caretaker, he yelled out in shock. "Don't panic, it's not permanent. It's only until she takes away from the drink and begins to act like a proper woman and orphanage caretaker should. You're dressed? Good, then we can leave. Come along, I'd like to get you back into my private quarters _before _I have to kill your caretaker."

"Yes, sir," Tom murmured fearfully. He was astonished at what the man had done, but it didn't make any sense at all! Magic was real, and so was his ability to talk to snakes. Was that magic, too? "I can talk to snakes. Is that magic?"

"N-Yes. That is part of your magical lineage from Salazar Slytherin," Severus explained. "It's hard for a child to understand, but I think I can explain it better once we're in my office. Now, grab hold of my arm, I'll need to perform magic to get us there quickly. And try not to vomit."

"Yes, sir," Tom murmured as he latched onto Severus' left arm tightly.

Severus apparated to the Shrieking Shack, and the tiny boy immediately turned around to vomit. Snape watched in disgust before leaving the shack with the pale child following on his heels. He led the small boy to his office and lit the lamps with his wand. The boy jumped in surprise, looking around him. Severus eyed the small child with interest. He'd have to deal with most of the hygiene issues later, as right now the boy needed a medical diagnosis.

"Tom, I'm going to take you to a medical witch, and I need you to be very quiet and very obedient for her. Do you understand?" Severus asked, and the small boy nodded earnestly. "Good. Come, and remember, my son's sleeping in the hospital wing alongside my wife, so you'll need to take great care not to wake them. We can discuss the house rules when I bring you back down here."

The slim boy followed Severus up the four flights of stairs as quickly as his little legs could carry them, and his lips were sealed shut as soon as he entered the hospital wing. Severus placed him on a bed, and Poppy walked out with sleep in her eyes.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing, Severus? I told you before that-!" she started angrily, and stopping at the child before her. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"I merely retrieved my niece's child from an orphanage, Poppy. I brought him straight to my office to get a better look at him, and immediately decided it would be best for you to be the one to give him the medical examination that he so clearly needs. He already knows to be quiet," Severus shot back.

She began casting a few spells all over the child's body, and her eyes widened. Severus cut the boy's finger, dropped a few drops of his blood into the bottle of potion that he'd had stored in his robes as a safety precaution, and poured the bottle's contents onto a spare piece of parchment to show the child's lineage.

_Tobi Snape, mother. Witch, magic bound as infant._

_Tobias Snape, maternal grandfather. Muggle._

_Samantha Snape, maternal grandmother. Witch, Beauxbatons._

_Thomas Marvolo "Voldemort" Riddle, father. Wizard, Slytherin_

_Thomas Riddle, paternal grandfather. Muggle_

_Merope Gaunt, paternal grandmother. Witch, home taught, descendant of Slytherin_

Severus' eyes widened, and he poked the parchment towards the medic whose eyes also widened at the child's lineage. Voldemort was a descendant of Slytherin? And this child was his son? What the hell was going on here? How the hell did Voldemort get his hands on Severus' niece without the Snape family recognizing the danger their poor female was in?

Severus shook his head as he rolled the parchment and put it in his robe pocket. Tom watched in interest, looking around, and as soon as his uncle's cold, hard, hate-filled eyes were latched onto the boy, the tiny boy flinched. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose to try to calm himself. His neice had been ¾ Tobias in her, and this child was half of her. on the other hand, it was half of Voldemort as well, who was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. He forced himself to remember that this child was not his father, just as he wasn't Tobias, and Harry was not James Potter. He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, worn out, and the tiny wizard hesitantly brought the older one into a hug.

"I know what you're thinking. A monster like me doesn't deserve to live. Your last name is Snape, and so is my momma's, and her parents' names as well. Riddle – he was a bad man, wasn't he? I heard some weirdly dressed guy in the store once talking about how great this Harry Potter person was for killing a guy named Voldemort, but whose real surname was Riddle. My mommy left me a letter, explaining my lineage through my dad, but said nothing about her. You're my mommy's big brother, right? Can you tell me about her?" the child asked.

"Not yet, no. I need to take you to the headmistress. Come along," Severus said, and the younger wizard nodded. "Poppy, is there anything I need to know about?"

"He was treated in much of the same fashion that you were when you were a child. Be careful – he'd probably terrified of being touched," she warned, and he nodded.

"Sir, what's the headmistress like?" Tom asked as soon as they were out of the hospital wing, and Severus sighed, hoping he wasn't going to be like this all the time.


	40. Settling the Slytherin

Chapter 40 – Settling the Slytherin

"So, Severus, is this your niece's child?" Albus asked, and the portrait-Severus gaped in shock.

"How dare you bring him here?" portrait-Severus roared. "Do you realize who his father is?"

"He is not his father just like we are not our father," Severus retorted. "Don't listen to my portrait, Tom, he's a bit of a stick in the mud. Albus, you have to swear to me that you won't be plotting my nephew's death, because if you do, you'll find yourself out of a Potions Master and Potions Mistress before you can say 'Riddle'."

"Severus," Minerva said at last. "What's going on?" Snape sighed and pushed the parchment in front of the woman. "What? Voldemort was his father?"

"Severus," Dumbledore said darkly.

"Shut your yap, you old sod!" portrait-Severus yelled. "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? Leave him alone! The sooner we tell the child the truth behind his lineage, the better. Child, do you know who Salazar Slytherin is?"

"N-no, sir," the tiny child said fearfully. "I-I only know that he could talk to snakes, and that that's where my snake-talk comes from…"

"See," both Severus' said in unison. "He's innocent."

"Salazar Slytherin was one of the four founders of Hogwarts," the headmistress explained. "the school you are currently at, as we speak, is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your mother and her mother, and her mother were all witches. Your mother and her mother were both sisters of the wizard beside you, who was once a servant of your father's, who is also a wizard."

"So, I'm a wizard?" the boy asked, and both Severus' nodded an affirmation. "Then, I'm Slytherin's heir, right? What happens then?"

"Nothing. The last person who was Slytherin's descendant to walk these halls – your father – was a dark and powerful wizard who almost destroyed the entire world," Dumbledore said coldly, all twinkle in his eyes gone. "If it hadn't been for Harry Potter, none of us would be here. If it were my choice, you wouldn't be either."

"That's more than enough out of you!" portrait-Severus roared angrily. "He's a child, not a monster! You kept saying I wasn't my father, and yet you're telling this child that he is his father? You're nothing but a filthy hypocrite, Albus! There's a reason that nobody else is listening to you right now, and that is exactly why! Minerva, do all of us portraits a favor, and take the child to the Slytherin dormitories to talk to him in private so that we can debate this!"

"I won't deny that your father almost destroyed the world," the scotts-woman said tonelessly, "But your uncle is right in the fact that you are not your father, especially since your upbringing was more like your uncle's than anyone else's."

"Tom, what do you do for fun?" Severus asked, knowing that Voldemort would have answered 'hurt people' or 'talk to snakes'.

"I usually try to be invisible. All the other kids like to pick on me. I don't really get to have much fun, sir. I only get left alone when there's a snake in the orphanage, so I take comfort in their company. But I never tell them to hurt anyone, and I tell them to not hurt anyone. Why?" he asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I was merely curious. Quite the opposite of your father, you are," Severus smirked. Dumbledore's portrait stared at the child. "He was always torturing the other children into insanity or to death when he was at Wool's. I believe that you've just proven to everyone that you are more like your mother than your father on the inside, despite what your outward appearance said."

"I look like my dad?" Tom asked, and Severus nodded. "But… why does everyone hate me for what he did?"

"Because they need a scapegoat," Severus said quietly. "I, however, am also guilty of this, and I will try to treat you as I would my own son. Come, I'll take you to your room that you'll share with your cousin, Daemon."

"Do I have to share a room?" Tom asked, and Severus nodded. "But why?"

"Because there are only three rooms in our private quarters," Severus explained as he led the child to the fireplace. "Take hold of this. It's Floo Powder, and if you throw it down and speak your destination clearly and loudly, it will take you there."

"Perhaps you should demonstrate, Severus," the headmistress said kindly.

"Of course," he said as he stepped into the fireplace. "Snape's office, Hogwarts!"

He heard Tom yelling in shock as the green flames erupted around him and whisked him back to his office. He landed smoothly, and stepped out into his office. He looked back, and a few seconds later, Tom appeared in the fireplace in a heap. Severus shook his head as he helped his young charge up and led him towards the room that he would share with Daemon. The child looked at the large four poster bed, and looked around confused.

"But, sir, where's my bed?" Tom asked, and Severus rolled his eyes and put the child on it.

"This _is_ your bed. We were going to have Sarah sleep in it so she could be next to Daemon while he slept, but you may sleep here unless you'd rather sleep with me?" Severus teased.

"I-I've never had a bed before," Tom said quietly. "They always had me sleeping on cots. I don't want to share a room… they always make me sleep where I don't want to…"

"That will not happen here," Severus said firmly. "You are older than Daemon, and I expect you to treat him as you would want an older brother to treat you. There are a few house rules we need to go through. First off, you will respect people when they respect you, and any adult who teaches here. If you have a problem with one, come to me, and I will see what I can do about it. Rule two, do not enter my bedroom or my private Potions lab without my explicit permission – Sarah may also give you permission for our bedroom, but not for the lab. Rule Three, you will do what Sarah and I say, when we say Three, you will abide by the school rules, and I will teach them to you as we go along."

"What if I break the rules?" Tom asked worriedly.

"If you break one of the big three rules, you'll get a spanking depending on how badly you've behaved. If you break the fourth one, we'll decide when that time comes. However, there are a few punishments that Sarah and I will not give. We will not withhold food or clothing from you, but we will take away privileges, such as games and some activities, away from you. You will not be hit excessively, as that is what I suffered at the hands of my father. Sarah and I know the pains you are going through, Tom, and we will never beat you nor harm you excessively. Do you understand?" Severus asked, and Tom nodded.

"Severus?" Sarah asked as she walked into their private quarters holding Daemon. "Are you in here, love?"

"Ah. That would be your Aunt Sarah. In here," he said, then called out to his wife. She walked in, carrying their newborn in her arms. "Tom, I'd like you to meet your Aunt Sarah and your cousin Daemon. Sarah, this is my half-sister's child, Thomas Tobias Ri-_Snape_."

"You almost said 'Riddle', didn't you?" she smiled, and he smirked. "All right, you naughty boys. I think it's time for all of us to get some sleep. we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Does Poppy know you're down here?" Severus asked, and Sarah smiled knowingly as she placed Daemon in his crib. "I'll take that as a no. Tom, try to go back to sleep. if you have a nightmare, come knock on our bedroom door and we'll be out when we can. If we're still awake when you walk into the main room, we'll come talk to you before you get to the door."

"Yes, sir," Tom said. "Sir? What should I call you?" Tom asked worriedly.

"I'd prefer you to call me Professor Snape, but when school isn't in session, or when it's the weekends, I believe that Uncle Sev will work just as well," he said immediately, hesitating on someone aside from Sarah calling him 'Sev'. "Good night, Snake hatchling."

"Good night, Professor Snape," Tom whispered as he fell back asleep.

O.O.O.O

"Sev, do you remember how we had to go onto that reality TV show that the board of Governors made the school put on?" Sarah asked as they lay in bed. "That was both fun and humiliating. Especially that first ice-breaker task. Oh my gosh, that was embarrassing. Well, at least it wasn't too terribly humiliating for the two of us."

"I still can't believe that they all think you're worthless, even though you won that," he said shaking his head. "That made you almost as famous as the Golden Trio and myself, and that's saying something. Minerva wants to do it again next summer."

"No! Absolutely not!" she laughed. "No! there's too many females on that list that would probably end up pregnant by now!"

"True," he sneered. "Go to bed."

"Touché, Severus," she smirked. "We may not have class tomorrow, but Poppy'll kill *yawns* us…"


	41. Silver Trio

Chapter 41 – Silver Trio

"Hey, Uncle Severus," Tom asked worriedly the next morning at breakfast, "How'd you fall in love with Aunt Sarah?"

"That's a very good question," Severus said warily, "However, I'm not going to say except for the fact that we both were contestants in a… tournament, a contest if you will, of sorts and well… that's where she first admitted she was in love with me."

"So, it was in a contest? What kind?" Tom asked, and Severus winced.

"Ask your aunt, she'll tell you. Although she won't tell you how I erased her first kiss from her mind," he smirked.

"You _what_?" she asked, and he whirled around to face her. "When was our first kiss then? Why did you erase it?"

"It was the first task in the contest," Severus said putting his hands up. "I was afraid and didn't want you to be in love with me, I felt that if I dated you I'd be a cradle-robber."

"So it was guilt?" Tom asked, and Severus nodded. "Oh. Okay. Do you think someone will love me?"

"We love you," Sarah pointed out as she pulled the child, who flinched, onto her lap. "And besides, you're capable of something you father, as well as your maternal grandfather, are completely incapable of doing."

"Love," Severus explained. "That is why your father couldn't kill Harry Potter. It was because Harry's mother willingly and knowingly died protecting him, and Voldemort was unable to love. He only had sex with your mother – who left your fetus in very incapable hands – to produce an heir in the hopes of… how shall I put this? Carry on his quest for world domination. My father, as well as your mother's father, was also the father of your mother's mother. He was almost literally incapable of love."

"Dad wanted to rule the world?" Tom asked with his eyes wide in shock. "Grandpa made my grandma and then my mom through her? Eyew!"

"Yes, and he killed thousands of innocent men, women, and children, even infants, in attempts to achieve this. He attempted to kill Harry when the latter was merely a year and a half old. Your Uncle Severus was acting as surrogate godfather from the background the entire time that he was growing up, and now that he is grown with his own children, I feel a strange urge to de-age him," Sarah explained and admitted. "Your Uncle Severus wouldn't have any of it, though. Now, you can probably get him to let you join him in Potions Class as long as you behave. Besides, your mother's father was a sick bastard who wanted a normal male heir. Your grandmother's magic was bound, making her incapable of using it, and thus making your father think she was normal. He abandoned your mother at her first signs of accidental magic."

"Will you do that?" Tom asked, and the two adults stared at him before almost yelling their defiant "never in a million lifetimes will we ever leave you to rot unless you are going to Azkaban for acting like your father!"

"Tom," Severus said more severely, "I was a slave to your father. He tortured people for fun. There were numerous times that I was literally, almost killed, for displeasing him in some minor way. Please, nephew, do not turn into your father. I will be forced to disown and abandon you if you do, and that is the last thing I want to do. We place our rules and regulations in place to protect you and guide you in the paths that will lead you away from acting like your father."

"And I recommend trying to get sorted into Slytherin," Sarah added quickly, "after all, he _is _your father's ancestor, and your father and I _are _the heads of Slytherin house. You should be alright once we announce to the school that you're here. Oh!"

Severus nodded before taking Tom's hand and leading him towards the Great Hall. The young boy had a hard time keeping up, but was able to a short gap between him and his Uncle as they strode across the Great Hall, with students staring at him from all sides. Whispers began, and Tom flinched angrily, his accidental magic almost leaking through. Severus stopped cold and the child had to stop on a dime to keep from running into him. With one hand on the child's shoulder, he was able to calm the Slytherin-to-be down and then proceed forwards to the staff table.

"Minerva, my nephew, Thomas Tobias Riddle Snape," Severus said in low tones. Her eyes widened, and Severus cut her off. "He will not become his father. I will ensure it even if it costs me my life. I'm sure you recall the spell that stores a fetus in a bottle until there is someone who will properly look after and care for said child?"

"Yes, of course," she said shocked. "He – he looks just like him from when he was a boy, that's all…"

"Ah," Severus said. "A miniature of his father, of course. Leave it to you to remember something like that. Thomas, this is Headmistress McGonagall. She went to school alongside your father. He was in Slytherin while she a Gryffindor."

"Good morning," Thomas said politely. "It's an honor to meet you, Headmistress. If I ever begin to act too much like my father and you begin to feel uncomfortable, please let me know and I will do my best to cease the despicable behavior."

Minerva nodded before watching the young boy walk towards Severus' location at the table. Within minutes, she'd announced the new arrival to the students and staff, and urged them to also pass the message along to those who weren't there at the meal. The heads of houses nodded, reminding themselves to talk about it to their students later, and quite a few of the first years grinned. The Slytherin house was groaning at having yet another honorary Slytherin added to their numbers in so short a time, but the First Years were excited about having a new playmate. Lily, Septimus Weasley, and Midna were all grinning widely in excitement, plotting something new.

"I wonder what the Silver Trio's up to now," Severus scowled.

"Silver Trio? I thought Ron, Hermione and I were the Golden Trio," Harry said confused.

"Your daughter, nephew, and Miss Twilight," Severus explained. "They're in Slytherin and act a hell of a lot like you three did."

Harry grinned widely before turning his gaze to his daughter and nephew. Sure enough, they were grinning widely and plotting who-knew-what. He noticed that Tom had left his seat and gone over to the trio, requesting permission to sit down. They nodded, making room, and they began talking a bit about different bouts of accidental magic. Something Tom said must have startled them, because Midna and Septimus' eyes widened in shock. Lily, however, wasn't fazed, and said something in return that made Tom turn his head to face his own. His eyes lingered momentarily on Harry's scar, and Harry vaguely heard Snape whispering about Tom's lineage. With a jolt he realized that the child of Severus's half-sister was also Voldemort's child. He gasped, causing him to choke and sputter on his pumpkin juice.

Severus knew that without a shadow of a doubt, he could raise Voldemort's child, his nephew, as his own without a hitch. The child wouldn't turn into anything like his father, and the child would have Harry to help him with the Parseltongue when the time came. Daemon would have an older brother/cousin, and any younger siblings that Sarah would be giving birth to for him. Life couldn't be better, Snape suddenly decided with a smirk. He was even more amused when his smirk again scared the crap out of most of the other professors..


End file.
